Georgia Child Death Report-10 Dead in State Care in 2012 UPDATED

Of the 120 deaths in 2012 so far, 80 have not been “natural.” There were ten deaths of children who were in state care. Three due to abuse. Three are under investigation. Three appear to be from medical conditions and one suicide. Another 11 deaths occurred while in the biological home but being monitored by CPS. One of those is from abuse. Two were from unsafe sleeping arrangements. The other eight are under investigation.

“The report is the first in a series that will be issued quarterly to track the deaths and help state authorities, parents and others identify ways to prevent them, said Clyde Reese III, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Services. State officials must inform federal authorities of child deaths related to abuse or maltreatment, but the new reports look at a larger group of fatalities. Reese said the reports will use a consistent methodology, allowing for meaningful comparisons.
“The problem that I saw was that we weren’t always looking at the same kind of data, so it’s very hard to look back and see trends,” he said.
Natural causes were cited in 34 percent of deaths, the single-largest category, according to the report. Accidents accounted for just over a fifth of fatalities, while the manner of death was undetermined in 18 percent of cases. Homicides accounted for 13 percent of the deaths, and suicides made up 3 percent. Investigations were still pending in 11 percent of the total fatalities.
Officials said the report was triggered by a desire to compile better information, not by a single incident or crisis. But federal officials have penalized Georgia for the performance of its child welfare system over the years and it has been the target of lawsuits intended to improve foster care in metro Atlanta.
In 11 cases, children died while the Division of Family and Children Services was providing assistance to a family due to substantiated maltreatment. One of those children died from physical abuse inflicted by a father. Two children died as a result of unsafe sleeping arrangements after child protection officials had opened cases on their parents for drug use.
Of most concern to state officials were the 10 cases where children died while they were in state custody. The causes of those deaths varied. Three children died as the result of alleged maltreatment they suffered before they were placed in foster care, state officials said. Another child died of complications blamed on a traumatic head injury inflicted by an uncle that caused her to be placed in foster care a decade earlier. One child died from an overdose. Two of the fatalities involved children who were born premature and entered state custody when their parents refused blood transfusions. The children never left the hospital.
The director of the Division of Family and Children Services, Ron Scroggy, said the information will be shared with the public and others interested in child safety. In the past, little was generally said about child deaths, he said.
“We believe we need to talk about it and see what’s the cause of this death and perhaps learn something so another child won’t have to suffer that fate,” he said.
Unsafe sleeping conditions were a common factor in multiple deaths. Officials said nine children were co-sleeping with adults at the time of their death, putting them at risk for smothering. Another eight children were sleeping in what the agency described as less-than-optimal conditions, for example, a crib with adult pillows or blankets. ”

State Child Agency Reports 120 Deaths

[GPB 11/12/12 by Associated Press]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update: “Child deaths in the Georgia foster-care system increased by 20 percent in the first three months of this year compared to the same period in the previous year, according to a Division of Family and Children Services report released Monday.

The statewide death toll increased to 55 during January, February and March, up from 46 in the same months of 2012. Most died from accidents or natural causes.

The deaths included one in the Augusta area, which had nine in all of 2012; three in the Athens area, which had six in 2012; and five in the Savannah and Brunswick area, which had seven in 2012.

The number of deaths had been decreasing each quarter in 2012. In the last quarter, which was from October through November, there were only 32.

“The overall increase is largely due to pre-existing health conditions and house fires, which claimed the lives of seven children this year,” Susan Boatwright, the agency’s communications director.

According to Boatwright, the reports are based on children who were under direct agency supervision or had been the subject of a public complaint of neglect or abuse in the previous five years.

“A lot of our foster-care parents care for fragile children. Because of the child’s health, we don’t expect the child to live, but it’s still reflected as a death in data,” said Carolyn Fjeran, the deputy director at Georgia Association of Homes & Services for Children.

The quarterly report shows the majority of the children who died from accidental causes were younger than 4. According to DFCS 2012 calendar year report, approximately 13 children died every month.

The report proves the need for greater resources for younger children, according to Pat Willis, the executive director of Voices for Georgia’s Children.

“In some ways that age is not a big surprise because kids at that age tend to be too young to speak up,” she said. “We need to give more attention to families who have a hard time taking care of young children because of income and substance abuse. Especially the families that have had contact with children services. That gives us more opportunity to protect them.”

The agency is trying to address the issue, Boatwright said. It is focused on decreasing natural and accidental deaths with their car seat safety, water safety and safe sleeping campaign for infants, who can be smothered by blankets and sleeping in the same bed with their parents. They are also increasing their interaction with medical experts through the Internet with web cams.”

Foster care deaths in Georgia jump by 20 pecent[sic]

[The Augusta Chronicle 7/2/13 by Nia Testamark]