Much of this article is taken from Marie Cohen’s remarkable research at the American Enterprise Institute. For those of you concerned with Child Protective Services in your community, Marie’s article is detailed and powerful. It could change your State Representative’s mind about transparency in CPS (Child Protective Services) where you live (share this state rep finding link with them).
An informed public will do more to protect vulnerable children. An uninformed public does not see a problem and will do nothing (or worse – it will support bad policy). All we see is the occasional gruesome news story of a murdered toddler with no context to understand the depth and scope of the toxic and dangerous home the child lived (and died) in.
Top Line reality check from the article: Despite multiple attempts over years for transparency in child death and near death in CPS very little critical information sees reporting in public light. Almost no information (even no names statistical data) about school, health and life outcomes are tracked or reported by many if not most systems.
We know that about 80% of aged out fosters go on to lead dysfunctional lives and that 20% of youth aging out become instantly homeless. There are many other important metrics that would help shape the system that rules the lives of our most vulnerable citizens.
CONFUSING LAW: Marie Cohen describes the overabundance of vague and conflicting statutes and regulations state by state and the institutional fear of breaking privacy laws at the letting out information regarding child maltreatment, death or near death.
This has been true for decades. In Minnesota, when Dee Wilson delivered the investigative report by the Casey Foundation after the tortured death of four-year-old Eric Dean, he spoke directly to the overuse of the HIPPA laws as a major impediment to this and other investigations and lack of public knowledge of a growing problem in child safety.
Brandon Stahl, the investigative reporter who spent years investigating the boy’s death, stated repeatedly (video interviews) how the County made the release of any information very difficult.
Marie Cohen’s research discovered “No provision for releasing information on child maltreatment fatalities or near fatalities” in any state or the District of Columbia. For this former CASA guardian ad Litem, it’s painful to know that the children in my caseload that suffered years of torture, and some who came close to death will never be known even as a statistic. It hurts more to know that the only awareness of children tortured and murdered at the hands of their caregivers while in CPS in America are those children a reporter can find out about. This becomes nearly impossible if agencies are not required to report these deaths.
PRIVACY: Privacy is an important issue in our nation, but it should not be more important than the lives of babies, toddlers (about 50% of child death are children under three years old) and children and knowing how our institutions are functioning. At his time, we really know very few meaningful metrics about what happens to children as they pass through the system. If we knew more, we could do more to manufacture more success. Marie’s in-depth dive into the murky waters of Child Protective Services clearly point out the need for more transparency and a better understanding of how to keep America’s children safe (alive). She has assembled the existing policies relevant to this conversation (State by State – listed in the read more below).
FIND YOUR STATE CHILD ABUSE DEATH AND
EGREGIOUS INCIDENT REPORTING BELOW
Thank you,
Marie Cohen and the American Experiment,
for assembling this information.
If your state is not on this list,
ask your State Rep to help make it happen
You may save a child’s life
WHEN YOU Share KARA’s reporting with FRIENDS, INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK and most of all, your State Representative (find them here) change will come a little bit faster. When enough of us become informed and speak up for abused and neglected children, we will improve their lives and our communities!
Please support KARA’s work with a small monthly donation:
THESE ARE LINKS TO DEATH AND EGREGIOUS INCIDENTS AND KARA ARTICLES STATE BY STATE (FROM MARIE COHEN’S ARTICLE ABOVE) GATHERED HERE FOR EASY ACCESS TO IMPORTANT INFORMATION OTHERWISE HARD TO FIND. Share these with your State Representative. Shine a light on the lives of abused and neglected children where you live.
Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, “Public Disclosure of CPS Critical (Egregious) Incidents,” https://dcf.wisconsin. gov/cps/incidents KARA WISCONSIN ARTICLES
West Virginia Department of Health & Human Resources, Bureau for Social Services, Office of Quality Initiatives, Critical Incident Annual Report: Child Fatalities and Near Fatalities Due to Abuse/Neglect, December 2022, 18–19, https://dhhr.wv.gov/bss/reports/ Documents/FFY 2022 BSS Critical Incident Report.pdf KARA WEST VIRGINIA ARTICLES
Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families, Office of Innovation, Alignment and Accountability, “Executive Child Fatality Reviews,” https://www.dcyf. wa.gov/practice/oiaa/reports/child-fatality/ child-welfare KARA WASHINGTON ARTICLES
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Fiscal Year 2023: Maltreatment Fatalities and Near Fatalities Annual Report, March 2024, 50–53, https://www.dfps. texas.gov/About_DFPS/Reports_and_ Presentations/PEI/documents/2024/2024- 03-20_Child_Maltreatment_Fatalities_and_ Near_Fatalities_Annual_Report.pdf KARA TEXAS ARTICLES
Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, “Child Death & Near Death Public Notifications,” https://www.tn.gov/dcs/ program-areas/child-safety/cdnd-pn.html; and Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, “Current Year,” https://www.tn.gov/ dcs/program-areas/child-safety/cdnd-pn/ current-year.html KARA TENNESSEE ARTICLES
Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families, “News and Updates,” https://dcyf.ri.gov/about-us/news-and-updates KARA RHODE ISLAND ARTICLES
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, “Child Fatality/Near Fatality Reports,” https:// www.pa.gov/en/agencies/dhs/resources/ data-reports/child-fatality-near-fatality- reports.html. For a description of the review process, see Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, “Child Fatality/Near Fatality Reports,” https:// www.pa.gov/en/agencies/dhs/resources/ data-reports/about-child-fatality-near-fatality- reports.html KARA PENNSYLVANIA ARTICLES
Oregon Department of Human Services, “ODHS Child Fatality Review,” https://www. oregon.gov/odhs/child-fatality-review/pages/ default.aspx KARA OREGON ARTICLES
New York State Office of Children and Family Services, “Child Fatality Reports,” https://ocfs. ny.gov/reports/cfrp KARA NEW YORK ARTICLES
New Jersey Department of Children and Families, “Child Fatalities,” https://www.nj. gov/dcf/reporting/fatalities KARA NEW JERSEY ARTICLES
Nevada Department of Health & Human Services, Division of Child & Family Services, “Fatality Disclosures,” https://dcfs.nv. gov/Programs/CWS/CPS/ChildFatalities/ FatalityDisclosures KARA NEVADA ARTICLES
Indiana Department of Child Services, 2022 Annual Report of Child Abuse & Neglect Fatalities in Indiana, December 2023, https:// www.in.gov/dcs/files/2022_Annual_ Report_of_Child_Abuse_and_Neglect_ Fatalities_in_Indiana.pdf KARA INDIANA ARTICLES
Florida: https://myflfamilies.com/childfatality On the “Child Fatality Prevention” page, click on “CIRRT Data,” then “View CIRRT Results.” Florida Department of Children and Families, “Child Fatality Prevention,” https://myflfamilies. com/childfatality FLORIDA FOSTER SHOCK VIDEO ARTICLES
Colorado Department of Human Services, “Child Fatality Reviews,” https://cdhs.colorado. gov/child-fatality-reviews. See also Colorado Department of Human Services, “Incident of Egregious Child Maltreatment, Near Fatality, and Fatality Review Process Timeline,” https://drive.google. com/file/d/0B9eaXW7_92zSaWVkdjdweG1 UR1E/view KARA COLORADO ARTICLES
Arkansas Department of Human Services, “State Child Fatality List,” https:// humanservices.arkansas.gov/data-reports/ state-child-fatality-list KARA ARKANSAS ARTICLES
Arizona Department of Child Safety, “Child Fatalities / Near Fatalities Information Releases,” https://dcs.az.gov/news-reports/ child-fatalities-near-fatalities-information- releases
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kids at risk action / KARA / invisible children
