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Commissioners approve single-county child fatality prevention team and accept state grant support
Summary
The board voted to establish a Columbus County-only child fatality prevention team in line with recent state statute changes and to accept state support for team work and training; commissioners asked staff to propose named appointees by May.
Columbus County commissioners voted to establish a single-county child fatality prevention team required under recent state law changes and to accept state support to operate the team.
Health Director Kim Smith explained session law changes (cited as N.C. Session Law 23-134) that strengthen the state's child fatality prevention system and require local child death review teams to report cases into the National Fatality Review Case Reporting System. Smith asked the board to adopt a resolution to form a Columbus County-only team rather than a multicounty arrangement.
Smith listed the types of deaths the local team must review (for example, infant sudden unexpected deaths, unintentional injuries, suicides, deaths involving maltreatment, and child deaths of residents) and identified the multidisciplinary membership roles the state expects, including local law enforcement, a district attorney's office attorney, community action agency representatives, a school superintendent or designee, mental-health professionals, guardian ad litem coordinator, EMS or fire representation, a district court judge, the county medical examiner, child-care representatives and a parent of a child who died under age 18. She asked the board to appoint local representatives by May.
Smith also said the agreement with the state will provide funds to support the local team and its work, including the purchase of safety equipment and prevention materials and training. The presenter quoted a per-meeting/state allotment figure in the transcript; the exact dollar amount for the county portion was not specified in detail at the meeting minutes. The motion to establish a single-county team was made by Commissioner Watts, seconded by Commissioner Bullock and passed by voice vote.
Smith said the team must meet at least twice a year and more frequently if circumstances warrant, and that staff would return in May with suggested appointees for the board to approve. The state office will require mandatory reporting into the national case reporting system as part of the team's duties.
