Mandatory child death review program gets fraction of requested funding as counties struggle
Summary
The Pennsylvania Department of Health received $242,000 for the Child Death Review program, which is much less than the $2.5 million proposed by Governor Josh Shapiro. Counties are required by the state to review deaths of people under 21, but many struggle due to lack of resources and complicated requirements.Key Facts
- The budget allocation for the Child Death Review program is $242,000, far below the original $2.5 million proposal.
- The program requires counties to have boards reviewing each death of a person under 21 to help prevent future deaths.
- Since 2020, only about half of the relevant child death cases have been reviewed.
- County officials find the review process time-consuming and difficult to manage.
- Governor Shapiro’s plan included more state staff, grants, and public education, but these efforts are limited by the small budget.
- Most local review board members volunteer their time in addition to their regular jobs.
- Advocates say the current funding is insufficient and want the state to create better support systems for local teams.
- The program aims to use data to understand patterns in child deaths and suggest prevention measures for local officials.
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