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Orange County staff brief commissioners on new state child‑fatality review law; board approves continuation of single‑county team
Summary
County staff briefed commissioners on state legislation that reorganizes child‑fatality review and required adoption of a new national reporting system; the board approved continuing a single‑county child fatality review team and accepted funding and staffing notes for implementation.
Orange County staff presented an overview of recent state legislation that restructures the child‑fatality review system and requires local teams to use the National Fatality Review Case Reporting System by July 1, 2025. The board approved continuing a single‑county child fatality review team and accepted the staffing and funding notes provided by staff.
Staff said the new law (session law cited in the presentation) directs the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to establish a state Office of Child Fatality Prevention and revises local review procedures. Local teams are no longer required to review every child fatality; instead, teams must review cases that fall into specified categories (the presentation listed nine categories in the staff abstract). Local teams are also no longer automatically required to review child protective services case actions unless the county DSS director requests those reviews. Teams will be required to begin using the state’s National Fatality Review Case Reporting System by July 1, 2025; the state is providing training and one‑time implementation funding and assisting with data‑use agreements.
Staff noted recurring operational details: the county receives $804 annually to support fatality prevention team meetings and an additional one‑time $1,935 in the current fiscal year to help implement the new reporting software. Staff reported the team typically meets quarterly, reviews previous‑year cases (there is roughly a one‑year lag), and on average reviews about three to four cases per quarter.
Commissioners asked about review procedures for cases such as suicide and whether the review looks at the whole family and sibling needs; staff and the director of child services (Director Shoemaker was named in the discussion) said reviews are multidisciplinary, look at police and medical examiner reports and partner agency information, and aim to identify system improvements and prevention strategies. The board approved continuation of the single‑county fatality review team and thanked staff for the briefing.
