The Pennsylvania Department of Health has been allocated $242,000 to support county teams in reviewing child deaths, a requirement that many counties have struggled to meet. This funding is significantly less than the $2.5 million proposed by Governor Josh Shapiro, leading to concerns that it won’t be sufficient to address the program’s shortcomings. The Child Death Review program mandates counties to analyze the circumstances of deaths of individuals under 21 to aid in prevention efforts. However, only half of the cases have been reviewed since 2020, with county officials overwhelmed by the mandate’s demands. The Shapiro administration expressed disappointment over the limited funding, which hampers plans for state-level staff, grants, and public education. Despite this, the Department of Health aims to use the funds to enhance data collection and analysis. Advocates like Cathleen Palm criticize the funding as inadequate, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive state plan to prevent child deaths.
QUESTION: How might the lack of sufficient funding for the Child Death Review program impact efforts to prevent future child deaths in Pennsylvania?
Mandatory child death review program gets fraction of requested funding as counties struggle
