By Families vs. DHR | Investigative Feature
In Alabama, you can be labeled a child abuser without ever stepping foot in a courtroom.
There is no requirement for an arrest. No need for a conviction. In fact, many people listed on the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) Child Abuse and Neglect Registry never receive formal notice that their names were added.
This secretive database, operated by DHR, has upended lives across the state in silence.
A Quiet Accusation With Loud Consequences
The process begins with an investigation. If DHR determines that abuse or neglect is “indicated” based on internal criteria, not legal findings, they can add a name to the registry.
This decision does not require a judge. It is not dependent on a criminal investigation. In many cases, there is no hearing at all.
For some individuals, this listing remains unknown until it interferes with their lives. That may happen during a background check for employment, a custody dispute, or an attempt to foster a relative’s child.
At that point, the label is already attached: child abuser.
No Conviction Required
Unlike criminal proceedings, placement on the registry is not subject to rigorous legal standards. The threshold for DHR to determine “indicated abuse” is low and often subjective.
Even DHR’s own website provides little transparency. According to their Central Registry Clearance page, individuals may only learn about their status if a third party requests a clearance. There is no clear path for people to check if they have been listed, no standardized notice, and no explanation of removal procedures.
Individuals can be listed based on hearsay, misinterpreted discipline, or even unfounded allegations during contentious custody battles. Once listed, the appeals process is unclear, slow, and in many cases, unavailable.
Families report waiting years for responses. Some never receive one. Others are told they missed a deadline they were never informed about.
DHR acts as investigator, decision maker, and gatekeeper with no independent oversight.
DHR’s Official Response
When questioned publicly about the registry, Alabama’s Deputy Commissioner of Children and Family Services, Karen Smith, defended its process.
Q: “Do you think everyone who is on the registry, who has been indicated, deserves to be on that list?”
A: “I do.”Q: “Why?”
Smith: “Because there was an allegation of abuse, neglect or exploitation. Those individuals had an opportunity to interact with staff.”
This is the reality families in Alabama face. Not a conviction. Not a fair trial. Not even an opportunity to clear their name. Just an allegation and a conversation.
A Life-Altering Designation
Being placed on Alabama’s Child Abuse Registry carries serious consequences.
Individuals have lost their jobs. Others have been denied the right to care for children within their own families. In some cases, registry status has been used against parents in family court proceedings, despite the absence of criminal charges.
There is no expiration date for the listing and no automatic review. It can follow a person indefinitely, affecting housing, employment, and custody.
Critics say the registry is not functioning as a protective tool but as a punitive measure that undermines due process and devastates innocent families.
A Broken System and a Growing Call for Reform
Advocacy groups including Families vs. DHR are calling for immediate changes to the registry’s structure and oversight.
They argue that no one should be listed as a child abuser without formal notice, an opportunity to defend themselves, and access to a fair and timely hearing.
Proposed reforms include:
- Mandatory written notice before placement
- An automatic review process within 30 days
- Independent hearings with neutral decision makers
- Immediate removal if no criminal conviction is found
- Full transparency around registry criteria and consequences
In the words of one Alabama parent who discovered their name on the registry after being denied a school volunteer opportunity, “I was never charged. Never even questioned. But now I’m branded forever.”
Conclusion
Alabama’s Child Abuse and Neglect Registry was designed to protect vulnerable children. In its current form, it has become a shadow system that punishes families without accountability, transparency, or due process.
Until it is reformed, it will continue to harm the very people it claims to protect and silence those it was never meant to target.
Read the original WKRG investigation:
News 5 Investigates: Why Is the Alabama Child Abuse Registry Easy to Get On but Hard to Get Off?
Visit FamiliesVsDHR.org to share your story or join the call for reform.
