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Child Fatality Legislation in the United States

NCJ Number
152366
Author(s)
S R Kaplan
Date Published
1991
Length
276 pages
Annotation
This report presents the status of certain laws in the 50 States and the District of Columbia regarding child deaths.
Abstract
The first chapter summarizes the results of the statutory review. Results are presented under the topics examined in the survey. One of the broad topics considered in the survey was the use of multidisciplinary teams. These teams include multidisciplinary child death review teams and a child protective services multidisciplinary team. A second broad topic encompasses specific organizational responses. They pertain to the mandated tasks of child protective services, the coroner/medical examiner, and the role of the courts. This summary of the legislative survey focuses on the nature and extent of the States' legislation regarding these issues. The second chapter presents sample legislation for an appropriate State response to child fatalities. The purpose of the sample legislation is to establish a unified process for responding to child fatalities; establishing State and local child death review teams; establishing purposes, duties, and procedures for such teams; establishing procedures for county medical examiner responses to child deaths; establishing procedures for county responses to child deaths; allowing for juvenile court jurisdiction over certain children; and allowing for termination of parental rights in certain circumstances; and generally relating to child fatalities. Chapter 3 provides commentary on the sample legislation. Two appendixes provide State-by-State summaries of the legislation reviewed. Another appendix contains tables that set forth child fatality-related legislation. Multidisciplinary child fatality review team legislation is reproduced in another appendix.