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The death of each child who dies because of abuse, injury
or other preventable causes deserves competent multi-agency
case review. The basic function of Child Death Review Teams
(CDRTs) remains to assist in the investigation and management
of individual child death reviews at the local level. CDRTs
also play a critical role in identifying the causes and circumstances
surrounding child deaths. This local knowledge can be used
to design more effective strategies to prevent fatal child
abuse and neglect and to enhance education and awareness about
preventing other child deaths.
The work of CDRTs impacts several
important areas: investigations, protection of siblings, data collection,
system study, service planning, and prevention. First and foremost,
CDRTs help to ensure the quality of child death investigations,
while improving communication and cooperation between agencies
responsible for child health, safety, protection, and welfare.
Team activities help prosecutors in pursuing child abuse cases
and social workers in protecting surviving siblings. In addition,
the detailed information provided about the causes of child deaths
can guide public health professionals in developing prevention
and education programs on behalf of children.
Many counties utilize their team's findings to implement
injury prevention programs, such as promoting the use of
car/booster seat restraints and increasing awareness of drowning
dangers to children in both swimming pools and California
rivers. Others have championed legislation, such as passage
of California's Safely Surrendered Baby Law. Additional topics
that California CDRTs have identified as important for prevention
include:
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Parenting
risks, such as substance abuse;
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Preventable
deaths: the continuum from abuse to neglect to "accidents";
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Suicide-prevention
activities;
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Motor
vehicle crashes (adolescent risk behaviors; vehicular
rollover of children in off road locations, i.e., driveways,
parking lots);
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Developmental
disabilities.
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