Cabarrus child protection team reports rise in school suicide assessments, urges community action on online risks and safe sleep

Paula Yost, chair of Cabarrus County’s Child Protection and Fatality Team, told county commissioners on April 7 that the team reviewed every child fatality in the county and that county agencies are seeing rising mental‑health crises among adolescents.

Yost said Cabarrus Department of Social Services handled 3,516 child‑abuse investigations in 2024 and accepted 1,462 reports for further action. Of those, she said, 466 were classified as investigative cases — the “worst of the worst” — and in‑home services were provided to about 68 families per month, up from roughly 45 the year before. Foster‑care counts were lower in 2024, with 77 children in care compared with 182 the prior year.

The data framed a larger presentation from health, school and public‑safety partners on trends and prevention. Amy Jewell, director of student and family support for Cabarrus County Schools, said school teams completed 420 suicide assessments in 2023 (56 of which required acute medical care) and 335 in 2024 (51 requiring acute care). Through February 2025 the…