State Spotlight - Indiana

Last updated:  May 2011

State Independent CDR Team Chair
Antoinette L. Laskey, MD, MPH, FAAP
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Children's Health Services Research
410 W. 10th Street, Suite 1020
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Phone: 317-278-0552
Fax: 317-278-0456
Email:alaskey@iupui.edu

Website:  http://www.in.gov/dcs/

Tools

Reports Mortality Statistics Program Description

Teams
Indiana has a multi-layered child death review system comprised of three types of child death review:
  1. There is a state team, created by statute and organized in 2004 as an independent body. This team meets monthly and may review sudden, unexpected and unexplained child deaths ages 0-18. There are 12 members on the Indiana State CFR Committee that are appointed through the Governor’s Office. Reviews are not mandated and cases are provided by courtesy arrangement from DCS.

  2. Local teams review fatalities suspected to be the result of abuse and/or neglect, once the local DCS office refers a case to them. The local team reviews the evidence and recommendations provided by the local DCS office regarding the death and assesses if it was due to negligence or physical harm caused by a parent, guardian or custodian. After the local team reviews the assessment, it is forwarded to the DCS internal state fatality review team. To be a formally recognized local team requires County Commissioner approval. All teams operate differently and are independent of each other.

  3. The internal review program housed in the Indiana Department of Child Services. The DCFS team reviews the local case reviews and make recommendations back to the local DCS office regarding the assessment. The reports are finalized at the state office of the Department of Child Services and data is collected from the findings. This part of the Indiana Child Fatality Review Program was established by statute (12-13-15.1 et seq.) in 2001. The program does not have a budget. No funding is provided to local communities.


Reviews
The Independent Child Fatality Review Team reviews cases based on availability and to date has reviewed high profile cases such as those with a prior CPS history, substantiated child abuse and neglect deaths, infant sleep related deaths known to CPS, drowning cases and ingestion cases. These are but a small proportion of all child deaths in Indiana as only cases known to CPS are available for review.  Indiana’s local CFR teams review all child abuse and neglect deaths and near fatalities for children under the age of 18. In July 2002, legislation passed allowing for teams to expand review criteria. However, there is no organized effort to increase review beyond CAN deaths.

Purpose
The purpose of Indiana’s CFR program is to investigate, provide services and prevent deaths.

Data
For the state, cases are reviewed based on team discussion and are accessed through liaisons at various agencies.  Data is collected based on standardized data reporting forms and kept in a secure Access database.

For the local and internal reviews, standardized data reporting forms are completed for all local team reviews. CFR data is stored at the State Child Protection Office and serves as an internal child protection document. The Indiana CFR program has access to state vital statistic records.

Annual Report
Both the State CFR Team and the Internal Indiana CFR Program produce annual reports. The reports are distributed to the community on child abuse and neglect deaths.

Prevention Initiatives
CFR findings have motivated prevention activities in Indiana. One example is a Safe Sleep Project that resulted from the Marion County CFR Team. Based on cases reviewed by the State Independent team, drowning in above ground pools was found to be increasing.  Legislation was passed requiring removal of ladders and prevention of access to above ground pools based on the team’s recommendations. 

Training
No training is available at this time. SUIDI training is offered at a regional level when funding can be secured.