CDPHE, CDHS release annual child fatality reports

The loss of a child is profound, and the grief remains with families and communities forever. In Colorado, two teams review child fatalities and issue annual reports on their work. 

The Child Fatality Prevention System (CFPS), housed within the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, is a statewide network that focuses on preventing child deaths. CFPS applies a public health approach to prevent child deaths by aggregating data from individual child deaths, describing trends and patterns of the deaths, and recommending prevention strategies. Download the 2021 Annnaul CFPS report.

The Child Fatality Review Team (CFRT), housed within the Colorado Department of Human Services, reviews incidents of fatal, near fatal, and egregious abuse or neglect determined to be a result of child maltreatment, when the child or family had previous involvement with the child welfare system within the last three years. After considering the identified strengths, as well as systemic gaps and/or deficiencies, recommendations are put forth regarding policy and practice considerations that may help prevent future incidents of fatal, near fatal, or egregious abuse or neglect, and/or strengthen the systems that provide direct service delivery to children and families. Download the annual CFRT report.