Texas Child Fatality Review

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About Texas Child Fatality Review

In 1995, Texas law makers formed the State Child Fatality Review Team (SCFRT) Committee. Counties could form local and regional Child Fatality Review Teams (CFRTs) as well. Senate Bill 6, page 61 amended sections of the Family Code Chapter 264 Subchapter F. The law moved support and coordination of CFRTs from the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to the Department of State Health Services (DSHS).    

The Office of Injury Prevention facilitates the SCFRT Committee. The committee works with local CFRTs to provide recommendations about injury prevention activities. These include drowning prevention and motor vehicle safety. Committee recommendations relate to:

• Modifying current legislation,
• Increasing public education, and
• Determining feasibility of strengthening systems.  

This committee reports child fatality data collected by local CFRTs. The committee submits CFRT data and recommendations to the Texas Legislature. The report is due no later than April 1 of each even-numbered year. The committee also submits recommendations to the DFPS child safety review subcommittee.

State Child Fatality Review Team Committee

Child fatality review teams

National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention

National child fatality review resources

Reports, protocols, and guidelines

State Child Fatality Review Team Committee

The State Child Fatality Review Team (SCFRT) Committee is a group of experts (PDF) throughout Texas. They want to reduce the number of preventable child deaths. The committee has four goals:

• Understand the causes and incidences of child death in Texas;
• Identify procedures to reduce the number of preventable child deaths;
• Promote public awareness; and
• Make recommendations for changes in law, policy, and practice. These changes will reduce the number of preventable child deaths.  

For more information, please visit the SCFRT website.

Child Fatality Review Teams  

Local Child Fatality Review Teams (CFRTs) are working groups of community partners. They review child deaths on a local level from a public health perspective. Reviewing a child’s death helps identify strategies to decrease preventable child deaths. Local CFRTs:

• Provide help, direction, and coordination to investigations of child deaths;
• Promote collaboration among agencies involved in responding to child fatalities;
• Try to understand the causes and incidence of child deaths in their county or counties;
• Recommend changes to policy or procedures that will reduce preventable deaths; and,
• Suggest changes to law, policy, or practice to the SCFRT.
  

Texas CFRTs (PDF) vary in size and the number of counties for which they review child deaths. Some teams review deaths for only one county. Regional teams review deaths for two or more counties. The largest number of counties a single Texas team covers is 26.

Texas seeks to have CFRTs in all parts of Texas. See the coverage on the Texas Map (PDF). Contact cfrt@dshs.texas.gov  to learn more about child fatality review efforts in your area.

CFRT Resources

• Child Fatality Review Team Operating Procedures (PDF)
• CDC - Sudden, Unexpected Infant Death and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
  Includes Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Investigations (SUIDI), the SUIDI data collection form, and SUIDI training materials.
• CDC - Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Investigation Reporting Form
• How to Use the SUIDI Reporting Form (PDF)
• Interagency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect
• National Clearinghouse of Child Abuse and Neglect
• Department of Family and Protective Services, Child Protective Services (CPS)
• Shaken Baby Alliance
• SIDS Network

National Center for Fatality Review & Prevention

The National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention (National Center) is the technical support and data center. They assist child death review (CDR) and fetal and infant mortality review (FIMR) programs throughout the U.S.  

The National Center provides web-based training modules on fatality review. Training modules focus on process work such as:

• Fetal and Infant Mortality Review 101
• Child Death Review 101
• Conducting maternal interviews  

Others cover best practices such as: 

• Facilitating successful fatality review meetings,
• Improving child fatality review data quality 
• Writing recommendations 

The National Center also hosts webinars and provides written products to assist CFRTs.    

National Center Resources

• National Fatality Review-Case Reporting System (NFR-CRS)
• National Fatality Review Case Report Form
• The National Fatality Review Case Reporting System: Data Dictionary
• National Center Guidance Report – Review of Death’s Due to COVID-19

Contact Us
Texas Department of State Health Services
Maternal & Child Health
PO Box 149347, Mail Code 1922
Austin, TX 78714-9347
(512) 776-7373: Phone
(512) 458-7658: Fax
cfrt@dshs.texas.gov

The Texas Department of State Health Services does not endorse external links to other websites. These links are informational and may not be accessible to persons with disabilities.