New DCF system may predict families at high risk of fatalities

The Department of Children and Families is implementing a new system aimed at determining which families are at a higher risk of experiencing a maltreatment-related child tragedy, including a fatality.

The Eckerd Rapid Safety Feedback uses information from DCF’s internal data system to identify children who are at the greatest risk for a poor outcome. The identification of these children will help staff in prioritizing these families for potential heightened supports and assistance.

In a news relase, Commissioner Joette Katz said the use of this new approach is one part of the department’s multi-pronged effort to help prevent child fatalities. “Experience from around the country shows that there are no child welfare agencies that prevent all tragedies,” Katz said in the relase. “The research shows, however, that there are factors associated with child fatalities and better identifying them can help to prevent such events.”

The study showed that, in addition to age of the child, other variables that correlated with higher risks include medical issues, unsafe sleeping arrangements, parent mental health and substance use treatment needs, and prior child protection history. Factors found to decrease the risk of fatalities include a comprehensive assessment of parent needs and frequent home visitation by the social worker. Most fatalities were due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome followed by medical complications, and unsafe sleep. Less than 10 percent were caused by physical injury. The most significant finding is that unsafe sleeping was related to the death in one-third of the fatalities, which prompted the Department to initiate a safe sleep policy to increase social worker supervision of sleeping arrangements and to also offer safe “Pack’n’Plays” free to families who needed them.

ERSF is a national system, first launched in Florida in January 2013, and expanded the state’s approach to case selection by applying analytics to identify those children who are most vulnerable and have a high risk of child tragedy or death.

ERSF is being implemented in three of the Department’s six regions beginning today and in the next 16 months will be implemented statewide.