Last updated:  April 2008

Susan Rodriguez
Family Health Research & Program Development, Rm. M-355
Texas Department of State Health Services
1100 W. 49th St.
Austin, TX 78756
Phone: (512) 458-7111
Fax:  (512) 458-7222 
Email:  Susan.Rodriguez@dshs.state.tx.us

Website: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/mch/Child_Fatality_Review.shtm

Tools

• Texas Child Fatality Review Legislation
• Texas State Child Fatality Review Team Committee CFR Team Operating Procedures 
• Texas Legislation Moving Child Fatality Review from Social Services to Public Health

Reports

• Texas Child Fatality Review Team Biennial Report, 2002-2003
• Texas Child Fatality Review Team Biennial Report, 2000-2001
• Texas Child Fatality Review Team Annual Report 2006
  
• Texas Child Fatality Review Team Annual Report 2007
  

Mortality Statistics

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

Administration
The Texas Child Fatality Review Program was established in 1995 by legislation. In the past few years, it has been primarily funded by the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and the Department of State Health Services (DSHS).  However, legislation passed by the Texas Legislature in May 2005 transfers responsibility, including funding, for the program completely to DSHS in FY 2007.  Included in this funding are grants given to local CFRTs.  Each team receives approximately $1,000 per year for training purposes. DSHS will provide 2.5 FTEs in kind and a DFPS staff person will be assigned to serve as the agency liaison to the program. 

Although the coordination for the Texas Citizen’s Review Panel is housed out of the DFPS, it is independent of the child fatality review process. 

Teams
Texas has both state and local CFR teams. 

State Team:
The Texas State Child Fatality Review Team (SCFRT) is comprised of 24 members that meet quarterly. DSHS is responsible for assisting the SCFRT in the development of model protocols for reporting and investigating child deaths, data collection and the establishment and training of review teams. 

Local Teams:
Texas has 46 local teams that cover 150 counties. There are 104 counties without CFR teams. Local team leadership and membership varies from county to county. 

Reviews
The death certificate is the basis for the review and is sent to local team coordinators from the Vital Statistics Unit located at the Department of State Health Services. They are accompanied by birth certificates with medical information on the mother and newborn if the child is under two years of age. Texas teams would ideally like to review all child deaths underage 18. Larger cities such as Dallas, Houston and San Antonio have FIMRs supported by local health departments and hospitals that look at premature infant deaths. 

Purpose
The purpose of the Texas CFR Program is to improve the response to child fatalities, provide accurate information on how and why Texas children are dying and ultimately reduce the number of preventable child deaths by establishing an effective review and standardized data collection system for all child fatalities. 

Data
The Vital Statistics Unit located at the Department of State Health Services collects data from local teams and performs annual statistical studies thereby, creating a central registry of child fatalities. 

Annual Report
The State Team Coordinator works with other DSHS staff, the DFPS liaison and the SCFRT to write the bi-annual report, which is distributed to the Governor, Legislators, agency heads and child advocates. 

Prevention Initiatives
The Texas CFR Program advocated for the passage of legislation for a graduated drivers licensing system and vehicle restraints. Local teams have developed many prevention activities. 

Protocols
Texas has a child death scene investigation protocol in place. 

Training
Training is funded through grants given to local teams by the DFPS and DSHS.