§ 31-25-2-24 — Report concerning child fatalities

(a) Before December 31 of each year, the
department shall annually prepare a report concerning all child
fatalities in Indiana that are the result of child abuse or neglect in the
preceding calendar year. The report must include the following
information:
(1) A summary of the information gathered concerning child
fatalities resulting from abuse or neglect.
(2) Demographic information regarding victims, perpetrators, and
households involved in child fatalities resulting from abuse or
neglect.
(3) An analysis of the primary risk factors involved in child
fatalities resulting from abuse or neglect.
(4) A summary of the most frequent causes of child fatalities
resulting from abuse or neglect.
(5) A description of the manner in which the information was
assembled.
The department shall post the report prepared under this section on the
department's website.
(b) As part of the summary of information described in subsection
(a)(1), the report must include:
(1) whether the child was alleged or adjudicated to be a child in
need of services under IC 31-34-1 in a child in need of services
proceeding that had not been closed at the time of the event that
led to the child's death; and
(2) whether, at the time of the event that led to the child's death,
the child:
(A) had been ordered to remain in the child's home;
(B) was on a trial home visit;
(C) was placed in foster care;
(D) was residing in a residential treatment facility; or
(E) was the subject of a program of informal adjustment.
(c) As part of the annual report required by subsection (a), before
December 31 of each year, the department shall report the following:
(1) The number of children who died in Indiana in the preceding
calendar year for whom abuse or neglect was suspected to be a
factor in the child's death.
(2) The:
(A) number of children described in subdivision (1) whose
cause of death was determined to be related to abuse or neglect;
and
(B) number of children described in subdivision (1) whose
cause of death was determined to be unrelated to abuse or
neglect.
(3) The number of children described in subdivision (2)(A) who
were the subject of a department assessment based on an
allegation of abuse or neglect.
(4) The number of children described in subdivision (3) who were
the subject of a department assessment based on an allegation of
abuse or neglect that was determined to be substantiated.
(5) The number of children described in subdivision (3) who were
the subject of a department assessment based on an allegation of
abuse or neglect that was determined to be unsubstantiated.
(6) For each child described in subdivision (3), the following
information:
(A) The cause and manner of the child's death.
(B) The:
(i) number of department assessments of the child that were
based on an allegation of abuse or neglect that was
determined to be substantiated; and
(ii) number of department assessments of the child that were
based on an allegation of abuse or neglect that was
determined to be unsubstantiated.
(C) The child's relationship to the perpetrator or perpetrators of
the abuse or neglect to which the child's death was determined
to be related.
(D) For each perpetrator described in clause (C):
(i) whether, prior to the allegation of abuse or neglect to
which the death of the child described in subdivision (3) was
related, a substantiated allegation of abuse or neglect resulted
in the perpetrator being determined to have abused or
neglected the child or another child; and
(ii) the number of substantiated reports of abuse or neglect
described in item (i).
(d) Not later than January 31 of each year, the department shall
provide to the executive director of the legislative services agency, for
distribution to the interim study committee on child services, a copy of
the most recent annual report prepared by the department under this
section. The report provided to the executive director of the legislative
services agency under this subsection must be in an electronic format
under IC 5-14-6.

Legislative History

As added by P.L.119-2013, SEC.9. Amended by P.L.98-2019, SEC.1; P.L.148-2021, SEC.7; P.L.76-2022, SEC.2; P.L.11-2023, SEC.99.