In a previous post, we mentioned that the Safe Passage for Children research team had broken ground on its 2023-2024 Child Fatality Report. With every report, we ask ourselves what we can learn from child maltreatment deaths. Safe Passage uses these reports to advocate for change in the child welfare system and prevent additional deaths. We plan to publish our third report later this year.
Just this past week, the research team sent out case files to be reviewed by subject matter experts who have worked closely with the child welfare system. This group includes officers of the court, law enforcement professionals, guardians ad litem, medical personnel, early childhood professionals, and others who can offer their professional perspective of why the child fatalities occurred and whether they could have been prevented. We are excited to have a variety of perspectives weighing in on our report and want to thank our subject matter experts for working on this important project.
The research team has been working diligently to pull data from what is available to the public. This data includes criminal complaints, Child in Need of Protection or Services (CHIPS) petitions, and other relevant court proceedings. The research team has also requested data from the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) and county agencies.
Due to these requests, we are able to write our most comprehensive report to date with 50+ currently known child fatality cases between June 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024. One of these cases involves a child who died after ingesting her mother’s fentanyl. Another death involved unsafe co-sleeping with the child’s mother, who was on meth; this is after a lengthy involvement with child protection services. Behind every number is a child and a story.
The child fatality reports sheds an honest light onto the worst threats to child safety. We don’t do this to point fingers, but to work together as a community to mitigate child maltreatment. Child maltreatment is a nonpartisan issue. We all believe in creating a better Minnesota for our children.
Safe Passage is advocating not only for data transparency, but also for improvements in our child welfare system. As the only government watchdog group of its kind in Minnesota, we invite you to join us in looking out for kids.