Yearly, the state points a report tabulating instances the place youngsters died, or almost died, whereas on the radar of Washington’s little one welfare system. It’s often a dry doc, regardless of the ache and tragedy it tracks, stuffed with charts and suggestions offered in simple, intentionally undramatic phrases.
Not this 12 months. For the primary time, Patrick Dowd, the Ombuds for Households and Youngsters, has included information about vital instances in the course of the first two quarters of 2025 — on prime of his general abstract for 2024.
Why? As a result of between January and March alone, there have been 47 little one deaths and near-deaths amongst children recognized to the Division of Youngsters, Youth and Households — greater than throughout any quarter of 2024. That was no onetime blip. The sample has continued, such that by the tip of final month, there had been 92 of those vital instances — extra incidents recording youngsters in mortal hazard than all through all of final 12 months.
“What issues me,” mentioned Dowd, “are the quantity that qualify for critical-incident opinions” investigating severe abuse and neglect. If this price of kid distress continues by 2025, he added, “We’ll have to take a look at what wants to vary.”
Dowd is a sober, considerate man, not given to hyperbole, and he has been doing this work for greater than a decade. So to see him waving his arms, warning of hazard, makes one sit up and take notice.
Fairly a bit has already modified at DCYF over the previous two years, for the reason that state’s new Holding Households Collectively Act was put into apply. Looking for to stem the variety of youngsters taken from their households and positioned in foster care — a extreme trauma unto itself — legislators handed the legislation, aiming to lift the bar for eradicating children. Whereas youngsters remained at dwelling, the considering went, caseworkers would steer mother and father towards voluntary drug- and psychological health-treatment applications.
That was the plan. However clearly, it’s not assembly the mark.
Practically 40% of kid fatalities in 2024 occurred after mother and father had participated in a voluntary Household Evaluation Response, or Household Companies, and the state, glad, closed their instances. Forty-two p.c of households wherein a baby died final 12 months had open instances with the division on the time.
To reverse this dismal development, Dowd suggests increasing drug remedy for pregnant girls and new moms and, in instances involving older children, permitting them to stay with their mother and father however beneath intensive, court-ordered supervision — in-home foster care, he calls it.
Standing up such a program can be neither fast nor simple. Nevertheless it’s price severe consideration by Tana Senn, the newly appointed secretary at DCYF, who has a possibility — and an obligation — to make enhancements.
No matter her determination, Senn should confront these numbers and discover a solution to make the division’s insurance policies match actuality.
