Website: Alabama Child Death Review

Tools

• Alabama Child Death Review Legislation
• Alabama Child Death Review System Brochure
• Alabama ATV Safety Brochure
• Alabama Safe Sleep Brochure
• Alabama Safe Sleep Brochure (Spanish version)
• Alabama Safe Sleep Poster
• Alabama Suicide Prevention Brochure

Reports

• Children for Our Future, Alabama Child Death Review System 1998/1999 Report 
• Children for Our Future, Alabama Child Death Review System 2000 Report
• Children for Our Future, Alabama Child Death Review System 2001 Report
• Children for Our Future, Alabama Child Death Review System 2002 Report
• Children for Our Future, Alabama Child Death Review System 2003 Report

• Alabama Child Mortality Data, 2002
• Alabama Child Mortality Data, 2003
• Alabama Child Mortality Data, 2005

Administration
The Alabama Child Death Review system was established by statute (Section 26-16-90 et seq.)  in 1997.  Alabama's CDR program has an annual budget of $300,000 that is funded by Children's First legislation. This legislation receives its financial support from the tobacco settlement. These settlement monies are appropriated year to year. Secured funding continues to be a challenge.

The program is housed out of the Alabama Department of Public Health, Maternal Child Health Bureau. Three employees staff the program at the state level. These positions are a director, assistant director and secretary.

Teams
Alabama has both state and local CDR teams which are mandated. The Alabama Child Death Review System is a member of the Southeast Coalition of Child Death Review. 

State Team:
The team consists of 28 members and meets quarterly. The team is responsible for identifying trends that place children at risk and identifying interventions that will prevent further deaths. This team makes recommendations for changes in state statute, regulation or policy. They also support local teams training and service needs. 

Local Teams:
For most local teams, the District Attorney serves as the chair. Each team has a Coordinator who is responsible for receiving death certificates, collecting review information and convening the meetings. The Coordinator is also responsible for completing the data collection tool and sending the information to the State Office. There are 53 teams that cover 41 judicial circuits across the state which meet as needed. These teams are responsible for making recommendations that are communicated to the State CDR Team. Local teams have the option to meet immediately or periodically and they do so as need dictates. Local teams often come together immediately to share information and expertise when an infant is found dead from no apparent cause and help is needed to further investigation. This practice varies across the state. Local team members serve as volunteers. 

Reviews
Local Alabama CDR teams review unexpected and unexplained deaths to children less than 18 years old. The State Alabama CDR Office is responsible for sending child death certificates to local teams to assist in their review process. 

Purpose
The main purpose of Alabama’s CDR program is to prevent deaths. 

Data
Standardized data reporting forms are completed for all reviews. The local Coordinator sends the information to the State Office. The information is then scanned or in some cases entered directly into the database at the local level via the Internet. The State Office is responsible for housing the database. CDR data is stored using Cardiff Teleforms and an Access database. The CDR program has a contract with the University of Alabama to analyze the data. The Alabama CDR program has access to state vital statistics. 

Annual Report
Alabama produces an annual report that is distributed to the governor, legislators and citizens of the state. 

Prevention Initiatives
CDR findings have influenced policy changes in Alabama. Some statewide examples include the Secret Safe Place for Newborns, Statewide Shaken Baby Syndrome awareness campaign, change in policy and regulations of licensed child day care centers, primary seatbelt legislation and graduated driver’s license. CDR findings have motivated prevention activities in the state such as safe sleep for baby campaigns and hospital based Shaken Baby Syndrome education. These efforts have not been evaluated. 

Protocols
Alabama has a variety of protocols in place including CDR meeting, child death investigation and confidentiality. 

Training
Alabama CDR offers training on child death scene investigation and holds a conference of Southeaster child death professionals. These trainings are funded with the CDR budget and registration fees. Trainings are being planned for August 2008.