Every New York-licensed nurse — RN, LPN, NP — must complete an updated Child Abuse Identification & Reporting CE course by November 17, 2026. The curriculum changed under amendments to New York Social Services Law § 413, and the old version no longer satisfies the mandate. If you took the previous version, you still have to take the new one before the deadline.
The short version
- Who: Every New York-licensed RN, LPN, and NP — plus social workers, dentists, hygienists, physicians, and several other licensed professional categories.
- What: A 2-hour NYSED-approved course in identifying and reporting child abuse and maltreatment, using the updated 2024 curriculum.
- Deadline: November 17, 2026.
- Consequence of missing it: NYSED will not issue your next 3-year registration. Practicing without a current registration is the same statutory violation as practicing without a license.
What actually changed
Child abuse identification CE has been a New York licensure requirement for decades. What's new is the curriculum. Under amendments to New York Social Services Law § 413, NYSED issued an updated training framework that course providers must implement. The updated framework expands content on trauma-informed reporting, the role of mandated reporters in racial and ethnic equity, and updated definitions of maltreatment under current statute.
Old approval letters were rescinded for courses that didn't update. Approved providers had to resubmit their curriculum to NYSED for re-approval against the new framework. The November 17, 2026 deadline is when every nurse must have completed a course built on the new framework — even if you took the older version at your last renewal cycle.
Who exactly is required
Under Social Services Law § 413, the following professions licensed by New York must complete the training:
- Registered Nurses (RNs)
- Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs)
- Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs)
- Physicians, physician assistants, midwives
- Dentists and dental hygienists
- Optometrists, chiropractors, podiatrists
- Licensed psychologists, social workers, and mental health professionals
If you hold a New York license in any of these categories, the deadline applies to you. If you hold only an out-of-state license and don't practice in New York, this doesn't apply — but if you plan to endorse into New York or work in the state on a compact license, you'll need it before your first NY registration. (New York is not a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so out-of-state nurses always need a New York license.)
Where to take the course
NYSED publishes the current list of approved providers on its Child Abuse Identification and Reporting page. The approval list is the only authoritative source — providers regularly come on and come off, especially after a curriculum change like this one.
Among major CE providers nurses commonly use:
- NYSED's no-cost option — the New York State Office of Children and Family Services has historically offered an online version of the curriculum at no charge. Check the NYSED approved-provider page for the current link.
- Wild Iris Medical Education, NetCE, CEUfast, Elite Learning — all major paid providers typically maintain a New York-approved version of the course. Use the Course Eligibility Checker to confirm acceptance, but always cross-reference against the NYSED list before paying — provider approvals can lapse and not every course in a provider's catalog is the NY-specific version.
Important: the course must be specifically titled and structured for New York's requirement. A generic ANCC-accredited “child abuse identification” course from another state usually doesn't satisfy this rule — NYSED checks for the specific New York curriculum.
What if you already took the old version?
There are two paths, and which applies to you depends on when you last completed the training:
- If your completion is from before April 2025: take the full 2-hour updated course before November 17, 2026. Earlier completions under the prior curriculum do not carry forward.
- If you completed an approved course on or after April 2025: NYSED has indicated a short addendum (around 15 minutes covering the updated content) is sufficient — you don't need the full retake. Confirm the addendum option with your original provider or via the NYSED page below.
Either way, if you're unsure where your completion falls, retaking the full course is cheap insurance — 2 hours and $0 to $40 is much less than the cost of a missed renewal.
How RenewRN tracks this
RenewRN's New York state guide shows the full mandatory-topic list. Once you add your New York license to RenewRN's tracker, the November 17, 2026 deadline appears as a countdown on your dashboard. Pro users get email reminders at 90, 60, 30, 7, and 1 day before the deadline so the cutoff doesn't slip past on a busy shift week.
FAQ
Does this apply to nurses who don't work with children?
Yes. The requirement is a function of holding a New York license, not of clinical role. ICU, oncology, hospice, and ambulatory adult nurses are all covered.
Does my employer's mandatory reporter training count?
Usually not. Employer-delivered training generally doesn't carry NYSED approval and isn't treated as completion of the statutory requirement. Always verify by looking up the course on NYSED's approved-provider list.
What if my registration renews before November 17, 2026?
You should still complete the new course before your renewal date. NYSED requires the updated curriculum at the next renewal cycle, and starting November 17, 2026, no registration will be issued without it. Renewals earlier in 2026 may still accept the prior completion — check directly with NYSED if you're renewing before the deadline and unsure.
I'm moving to New York with a compact license. Do I need this?
Yes. New York is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so a multi-state license doesn't cover NY practice. You need a New York-issued license, and the Child Abuse Identification CE is required as part of that. RenewRN's License Transfer Planner walks through the endorsement process step-by-step.
Bottom line
Don't leave this for the week before your renewal. The course is 2 hours, often free, and the consequence of missing it is the same as missing any other mandated CE: no renewal. Block out one afternoon, pick a course from NYSED's approved list, complete it, and save the certificate to your CE tracker.