CLEARFIELD – In order to better provide local services, Kelly Pentz, of the Clearfield County Child Death Review Team (CCCDRT) sought the assistance of the Clearfield County Commissioners during their work session on Wednesday.
Pentz said the Public Heath Child Death Review Act, which was codified with the passing of Act 87, 2008, is the voluntary process of Child Death Review. She said the review process was established in Pennsylvania in 1991.
According to a PA CDR brochure, the law was not created with the intent to force communities or the state to do what is correct or right. Instead, it was to assure the local CDR teams would be protected and have the ability to accomplish their mission.
Pentz said their mission was to promote the safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults to reduce preventable fatalities. She said their local team used to only review deaths through the age 19. However, she said they have now increased it to 21 years of age.
Pentz said they may evaluate the records necessary to conduct a review. She said they utilize the child death review data collection system to report their findings and produce an annual report. By doing so, she said they’re able to identify factors of risk for injury and death.
She said it allows them to make recommendations regarding the health and safety policies in the commonwealth and the coordination of services and investigations by child welfare and other agencies. She said the local teams are charged to make recommendations to their local agencies relating to the procedures and other actions to reduce injury and death of children.
According to Pentz, they need the commissioners to designate two representatives to their team. She said these representatives usually come from local law enforcement or the medical community. She said it’s been a while since they’ve had someone from local law enforcement.
Pentz said they’ve never had anyone from the Clearfield County District Attorney’s office, the Court of Common Pleas or Emergency Medical Services. In the past, she said they have had someone from Clearfield County Children, Youth and Family Services.
Commissioner John A. Sobel said the local team clearly has an important job. He said the board of commissioners would take action and make the proper appointments.
Sobel said he believes they could find two representatives to aid the local team. He said he suspects these individuals aren’t aware of the present need.
Pentz said the local team typically meets once or twice each year, depending on the number of child deaths. She said they haven’t set their next meeting date. She said it would be announced at a later time.
Pentz said they reviewed 17 deaths in 2004, 2005 and 2007. She said they had 12 deaths in 2008 and 11 in 2006. She said they have nine for the first three quarters in 2009 and expected the final statistics sometime in May.