The Commission interviewed well over 100 professionals in the field of child protection and obtained information on child abuse investigations from all 62 New York State counties, 13 other States, the Federal Government, and private research institutions. In addition, the Commission conducted numerous private hearings at which child welfare officials from three counties and New York City testified. Based on its findings, the Commission concludes that the child protective system is in need of reform. The current system puts the children of New York at risk through laws that prevent professionals from working together for the benefit of abused children, mandate the destruction of information that could identify child abusers, and hamper effective oversight of the child protective system by shielding that system from public accountability. The Commission believes the children of New York would be better served by a more open and flexible child protective system. The Commission recommends clarification, amendment, and improvement in State confidentiality laws. It also recommends that the expungement laws be changed to provide a more balanced approach to record- retention, which takes into account the needs of child protection caseworkers and law enforcement professions, while recognizing the privacy rights of the family. Further, the Commission recommends expansion of the oversight to which child abuse investigations are subject, opening up the child protective system to public accountability, providing more comprehensive statistical information about child abuse, and ensuring that caseworkers and physicians are trained to recognize and respond to child abuse cases.