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Cabarrus County child fatality team reports rise in youth suicides, urges firearm safety and community prevention
Summary
At an April 7 work session the county's Child Protection and Fatality Team reported 32 child fatalities in the year under review and growing youth suicide and trafficking concerns; presenters urged firearm securement, gun-lock distribution and school and community prevention programs.
Paula Yoos, chair of the Cabarrus County Child Protection and Fatality Team, told the Board of Commissioners on April 7 that the team reviewed the county's child fatalities and welfare caseloads and is urging stronger prevention work in homes, schools and the community.
"This is not an easy topic," Yoos said as she opened the annual presentation. She said the team is statutorily mandated, includes roughly 25 to 30 interdisciplinary members and meets about 11 times a year to review every local child autopsy and recommend preventive steps.
Yoos said the team reviewed the fatalities from 2024 during 2025. She reported that the county saw 32 child fatalities in that review year, including 17 deaths from illness, four from prematurity, five accidental deaths (one an accidental gunshot), at least two deaths related to fentanyl or illegal drugs and three suicides. She also provided recent child-welfare figures: 1,504 accepted abuse/neglect/dependency cases and 175 children in foster care, with about 40 routinely eligible for adoption.
The report highlighted new and worsening trends the team is tracking, especially youth suicide. "If you have a minor child in your home ... it is very important that you secure your weapons around your children," Yoos said, emphasizing that unsecured firearms often figure in youth suicide incidents. She noted local distribution points for free gun locks, including police and sheriff's departments, the Cabarrus Partnership for Children, pediatric offices and Atrium Health.
Presenters and county officials described school-based supports and community trainings aimed at prevention. Yoos referenced school counselor, social worker and psychologist staffing shortfalls compared with recommended ratios and pointed to local efforts including QPR and Mental Health First Aid trainings to help adults recognize suicide warning signs.
The team also described outreach and resource activities the county runs or supports: safe-sleep education, gun-lock distribution, Safety Towns, new-parent classes, and community presentations. Yoos announced a public pinwheel ceremony to raise awareness on April 22 at 1 p.m. in front of the courthouse.
Why it matters: commissioners and presenters said the mix of rising fatalities, juvenile violence and drug exposure increases the urgency of preventive programs, interagency coordination and community education. Yoos and collaborators asked the board to continue supporting cross-agency work, public education and access to preventive resources.
The board heard the presentation but did not take a standalone vote on the report; the Pinwheel event and ongoing prevention activities were listed as community outreach items.
