Child Deaths in Oklahoma As a Result of Abuse or Neglect Decline by 37 Percent from 2005 to 2006

OKLAHOMA CAPITOL -- A federal report last week said the number of child deaths in Oklahoma caused by abuse or neglect dropped by 37 percent from 2005 to 2006.
According to the Child Maltreatment 2006 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families, Oklahoma had 41 child deaths in fiscal year 2005. For fiscal year 2006, that number fell to 26 child deaths.

In fiscal year 2004, 39 child deaths were reported. The period from 2004 to 2006 represents a 33 percent drop.

The Child Maltreatment 2006 report also stated Oklahoma dropped from 4.63 child deaths per 100,000 children in 2005 to 2.91 child deaths per 100,000 children in 2006. Texas led the nation in 2006 with 3.96 child deaths per 100,000 children.

An Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) official said while the numbers are encouraging, agency leaders will continue to focus on reducing those numbers even more. According to a recent Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) study, Oklahoma has one of the most comprehensive review systems in the country, which provides the state with the most reliable data and helps identify safety risks.

“Oklahoma may have the broadest review of any state regarding child deaths,” OKDHS Director Howard H. Hendrick said. “We investigate a very wide pool.”

The CWLA study noted that the more child death data factors considered, the larger the universe of child deaths that are reviewed by the state’s child welfare agency and could therefore be considered attributable to abuse or neglect.

Hendrick said the study found Oklahoma was the only state that requires its child welfare staff to review child deaths under all 6 different data factors of child deaths. For example, 54 percent of states don’t review deaths attributable to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) unless there is another reason to suspect abuse or neglect. Also, 41 percent of states don’t review accidental deaths, such as drowning, unless some other factor indicated possible abuse or neglect.

Oklahoma’s other strengths include its definition of abuse and neglect, he added. The most significant difference in state definitions is whether the abuse or neglect resulted in harm or “a risk of harm.” Oklahoma’s definition includes the risks to which children may be exposed, not just a harm that was intended. 

Each year the Oklahoma Child Death Review Board reviews more than 400 child deaths and near deaths in Oklahoma under the nation’s broadest range of child death data factors.

Further, Oklahoma is one of only 6 states with a federally approved statewide child welfare information system that provides a more accurate method of reporting data while other states have only modest systems.

“The bottom line is that it is very difficult to compare child welfare data without analyzing the quality of the data by comparing how the data is collected, the definitions used and thoroughness of the collection system,” Hendrick noted. “Oklahoma is doing the right thing by reviewing a broad range of cases.  It has helped us identify risk factors that can reduce deaths in the future.”

Child Maltreatment 2006 is a report of data collected via the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) for Federal fiscal year 2006.

Child Maltreatment 2006 is available online. This publication provides national and state findings on referrals for child maltreatment, substantiated cases and types of abuse and neglect. Information on perpetrators of maltreatment, child protective services workload and preventive and post-investigation services is also included.

The report is available at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/resource/child-maltreatment-2006.

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Addendum:The Child Welfare League of America, State Child Welfare Agency Survey
“When does your state child welfare agency investigate child deaths which may be potential child abuse or neglect fatalities?”

Oklahoma is the only state to investigate child deaths under all of the following factors:

• Child not previously known to child welfare agency
• Family not previously known to child welfare agency
• No siblings/children remain in the home
• Incident appears to be an accident (e.g. swimming pool drowning)
• Death identified as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome 
• Alleged perpetrator is a juvenile