Attempts by State agencies to investigate allegations of child abuse and neglect against uncooperative religious cults have proven particularly challenging, since the nature of these groups makes identification of and access to child and adult members problematic. These problems were evident in the investigation of alleged child abuse in The Community in Island Pond in Vermont. In the face of collective noncompliance with investigative mandates, Vermont authorities spent almost 2 years in unsuccessful efforts to investigate many reports of child physical abuse in the religious cult. Statutes that mandate investigations of child abuse and neglect, as well as those which permit the taking of children into State custody, should contain language that recognizes the possibility for abuse and neglect in a cult setting. Special attention should be given to the need for nonconsensual access as a last resort in situations where there is reason to believe the children will be removed from the jurisdiction and where other forms of access are unsuccessful. 18 references