Alamance County to maintain single‑county child fatality and child protection review team

Alamance County commissioners voted unanimously to operate a single‑county Community Child Protection Team (CCPT) and Child Fatality Prevention Team (CFPT), following a presentation from the health director on state changes to how local reviews must be structured.

Tony Lojidice, Alamance County health director, summarized session law changes (cited in the presentation as session law 2023‑134) that require counties to decide whether to serve as a single county team or join a multi‑county team by Jan. 1, 2025. He told the board the state also created an Office for Child Fatality Prevention and directed restructuring of child fatality review systems statewide.

Lojidice outlined two options: a multi‑county team that could provide shared resources and cross‑county collaboration but would require complex interlocal agreements, and a single‑county team that preserves local control and focuses reviews on local systems change. "The recommendation from Candace and I is that we support a single county team," he said.

Commissioners asked about meeting frequency, funding and the emotional burden on reviewers. Lojidice said reviews are intensive, that merging the teams reduces duplicative meetings and that existing local resources would continue to support administrative work (he cited an annual administrative addendum historically around $1,400–$2,400 to support coordination). After questions, the board moved and seconded a motion to adopt the single‑county approach and approved it unanimously.

The single‑county decision retains commissioner appointment authority for firefighter, law enforcement and parent positions and shifts selection of five additional community members to the co‑chairs of the merged teams, as allowed by the recent state change. Staff said they will continue to coordinate cross‑county records and participation where needed for multi‑jurisdictional reviews.