Within 24 hours after receiving an intake indicating that a child in care has died, the investigator must complete the following additional tasks:

• Contact law enforcement to request a joint investigation.
• Notify the medical examiner or justice of the peace and share any known information about the child’s circumstances and medical condition to assist the medical examiner or justice of the peace in determining whether an autopsy is necessary.
• Make sure the deceased child’s person details and the Fatality Information section of the Person Detail page are completed in IMPACT with as much information as is available.
• Make sure an appropriate allegation is indicated to be a Child Fatality Allegation on the Allegation Detail page in IMPACT.
• Notify the Complex Investigations Division.
• Request a joint investigation with the CPI Special Investigations division before initiating the investigation.
• Initiate the investigation.
• Evaluate the safety of any other children in care of the alleged perpetrator and at the operation of concern.

The investigator notifies the supervisor that the tasks listed above are complete. Then, the supervisor does the following:

• Assesses the operation’s history for concerns related to abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
• Completes Form 3021A CCI Notification of Child Fatality.
• Uploads the form to OneCase.
• Sends the form to the program administrator.

The program administrator reviews the form and sends it to all designees listed on the Fatality Notification List (see CCI Child Fatality Protocol Handbook).

See:

1311 CPI Special Investigators

4510 Evaluating the Need for a Safety Plan

4240 Conducting a Risk Assessment of Regulatory History

2110 Notifications Made at Beginning of Investigation

4310 Initiating the Investigation

Child Protective Services Handbook, 2333 Notifications of a Child Fatality

Child Protective Services Handbook, 6490 If a Child Dies While in Substitute Care