2009 California Welfare and Institutions Code - Section 18950-18950.5 :: Article 1. General

18950.  The Legislature finds and declares that child abuse is a
growing concern in this state, and that current methods of coping
with child abuse problems are resulting in family breakups that are
both expensive and nonproductive to the state. It is the intent of
the Legislature to provide for the establishment of a State Office of
Child Abuse Prevention to plan, improve, develop, and carry out
programs and activities relating to the prevention, identification
and treatment of child abuse and neglect.

18950.5.  For the purposes of this chapter, a child receiving
treatment by spiritual means as provided in Section 16508 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code shall not for that reason alone be
considered an abused or neglected child.