TITLE
Title
HHS CHILD FATALITY PREVENTION TEAM
end
SPONSOR
Sponsor
Courtney McFadden
Sharon Barlow
end
BACKGROUND
Background
The Child Fatality Prevention Team (CFPT) is responsible for reviewing the deaths of all children under age 18 who were residents of Guilford County. The team receives demographic and case information from the State, including cause of death, birth and death certificates, medical examiner reports, and autopsy findings. Reviews are conducted at least one year after the child’s death to ensure complete and accurate information is available.
In accordance with NCG.S. § 7B-1406.5, each county is required to establish a Local Team or participate in a multicounty team, as determined by the Board of County Commissioners in consultation with the local health director, the director of social services (or consolidated human services director), and guidance from the State Office. Guilford County maintains a Local Team to carry out these responsibilities.
State law requires the Local Team to review specific categories of child deaths, including those resulting from undetermined causes, unintentional injuries, violence, motor vehicle incidents, suspected or confirmed child maltreatment, sudden unexpected infant death, suicide, deaths not expected within six months, and other infant deaths as defined by the State. The team may also review additional child deaths outside of these categories and, upon request, may review active child protective services cases to inform system improvements.
The statute further requires Local Teams to participate in ongoing training and to follow established best practices for conducting reviews, collecting information, engaging appropriate partners, and reporting findings.
While the team reviews all applicable child deaths, full team discussions primarily focus on deaths considered preventable. These include cases involving unsafe sleep environments, fires, suicide, homicide, blunt force trauma, drowning, motor vehicle and bicycle incidents, choking or suffocation, and poisoning.
The purpose of CFPT is not to assign blame to individuals or agencies. Instead, the team identifies system-level issues, strengthens communication among local partners, and develops recommendations to prevent future child fatalities. The team analyzes trends, identifies service gaps, and provides recommendations for policy changes, education, and resource needs to improve outcomes for children and families.
end
BUDGET IMPACT
Budget Impact
NO ADDITIONAL COUNTY FUNDS REQUIRED
end
REQUESTED ACTION
Requested Action
Receive HHS Child Fatality Prevention Team Annual Update.
end