Child abuse or neglect; establishes centralized intake system for reports or complaints.

Department of Social Services; centralized hotline for reports or complaints of child abuse or neglect; response to complaints within 24 hours for children under three years of age. Creates a centralized toll-free hotline for intake for reports and complaints of child abuse or neglect. The bill directs the Department of Social Services (the Department) to be the agency responsible for the intake of reports and complaints of child abuse or neglect and specifies that the Department shall determine the validity of such reports and complaints. Under current law, local departments of social services are the agencies responsible for the intake of reports and complaints of child abuse and they determine the validity of such reports and complaints. The bill eliminates the requirement that local departments must be capable of receiving and responding to reports and complaints of abuse or neglect and instead requires that any complaint of child abuse or neglect received by a local department shall be immediately forwarded to the Department's child abuse and neglect hotline.The bill directs the Department to promulgate regulations necessary to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill directs the State Board of Social Services to promulgate regulations to require that local departments of social services (i) respond to valid reports and complaints alleging suspected abuse or neglect of a child under the age of three within 24 hours of receiving such reports or complaints and (ii) investigate and determine the validity of complaints alleging suspected abuse or neglect of children under the age of three and children with disabilities.The bill requires the Department to convene a workgroup of representatives and stakeholders to optimize the Department's authority to provide intake services. The bill directs the Department, beginning July 1, 2026, to implement centralized intake through a phased-in approach that gradually transitions intake from local departments of social services to the Department. The bill also requires the Department to contract with a third party to complete a comprehensive study of the screening process of child protective services complaints across Virginia, identify best practices, and make recommendations for the most effective and efficient system for intake.