Child Fatality Prevention Team presents annual report; commissioners approve report and support car‑seat program expansion

Chatham County health and social services officials presented the annual report of the community Child Protection Team and Child Fatality Prevention Team (CFPT/CCPT) June 16; the Board of Commissioners approved the report and heard staff requests for continued attention to traffic safety, youth mental health, and car‑seat distribution.

Health Director Mike Zelleck and Social Services Director Jenny Christiansen co‑presented the report, which staff said is required by state law and is shared with multiple governing boards. Presenters said recent state legislative changes (part of the 2023 appropriations act and recommendations from the North Carolina Child Fatality Task Force) will shift CFPTs to focus on deaths deemed preventable and require participation in a national fatality review case reporting system beginning January 2026. The local team will continue to review active child welfare cases to identify system gaps and opportunities for prevention.

Christiansen told commissioners the local CFPT reviewed several families and that the primary drivers for children entering foster care among reviewed cases were abuse, parental substance use and domestic violence; in many reviewed cases children required behavioral health services, educational supports, and dental care. The team also recommended system improvements including specialized housing vouchers to prevent removals, stronger coordination among state DHHS divisions for behavioral health needs, and expanded training for the child‑welfare workforce (including addressing secondary traumatic stress).

On fatalities, staff reported nine child fatalities reviewed for calendar year 2024; approximately two‑thirds were determined by the local team to be not preventable based on the available information. Topics of concern identified in recent reviews included traffic safety on two‑lane roads — especially involving newer drivers — youth mental health and safe firearm storage. County staff highlighted successes such as expanded community‑based services, a new foster care prevention program (Home Builders), expanded childbirth classes in English and Spanish in partnership with Chatham Hospital, and a car‑seat safety program that served 162 families in 2024. Staff reported an additional $5,000 will be available next year specifically to purchase car seats.

The board approved the annual CFPT report by motion. Commissioners asked for clarification about who determines preventability (local team members review cases and use physician review and available records) and about the source and distribution of recent state appropriations to local teams. Staff said they will continue to monitor the forthcoming national case reporting system and prepare for the transition.