Craven County child-protection teams cite declines in reports, push safe-sleep and life-jacket projects

Jenny Cook, co‑chair of the Community Child Protection Team and the Community Fatality Prevention Team, told the Craven County Board of Commissioners the groups are working to identify service gaps and link families to community resources.

Cook said the Craven County Department of Social Services received 1,292 reports related to child welfare in 2024, of which 845 were screened in. "There was 55 regarding substance affected infants," Cook said, and she noted committee members consider substance‑affected infant cases to be high risk and require at least weekly contact and management involvement in safety planning.

The teams reported modest declines in reporting: Cook said 2023–2024 saw about a 4% decrease in reports received and that, from 2021 to 2024, certain measures showed roughly a 7% decline. She also said the county has seen about a 27% decrease in the number of substance‑affected input reports from 2021 to 2024, and credited ongoing education by the county health department, the local hospital, the department of social services and other partners for helping families engage with services.

The child‑protection team reviewed eight Department of Social Services cases in 2024 and identified parenting, child mental health and parental mental health as common contributing factors; the teams recommended linking families to the Autism Society of North Carolina, inpatient treatment such as Springbrook (South Carolina), Trillium Behavioral Health referrals for therapeutic placements, and peer support services including Easterseals. The fatality prevention team reviewed 18 deaths where abuse or maltreatment were not the leading cause and recommended grief support and continued prenatal‑care education for families.

Cook described prevention work on safe‑sleep education and material supports: Craven County DSS conducts safe‑sleep assessments for every child under age 1, and the county and health department provide pack‑and‑plays and car seats when a crib or bassinet is not available. The county also shows safe‑sleep educational videos in the health department and in the DSS waiting room, she said.

The teams noted other case topics including perinatal conditions, sickle cell (with free testing available at the health department), sexually transmitted infections, and a hit‑and‑run involving a child riding a bicycle without a helmet or reflective vest; bicycle and reflective‑vest education materials were identified as part of family outreach.

Looking to 2025, Cook said priorities include improving referrals to partners, maintaining a community resource QR sheet for families and a new drowning‑prevention initiative. "The teams are gonna partner with North Carolina Wildlife and Craven County to build life‑jacket stations by the boat ramps and or swimming areas," she said, and reported the Wildlife Association approved the project to begin with stations in Craven and Jones counties.

Commissioners thanked the presenters and accepted printed resource cards for distribution.

The presentation was an informational agenda item; no formal board action was recorded during the briefing.