A new report shows that between the summers of 2023 and 2024, there were 12 child deaths in state according to the agencies focused on care for families. The Office of the Child Advocate, who authored the report, said the number of deaths is down compared to years past, but more funding is needed to keep the trend low. The Office of the Child Advocate, founded in 2018, oversees the state’s child-serving agencies including the Division of Children, Youth and Families, child protective services and juvenile justice. This latest report shows that about 3,000 incidents were reviewed.
It also points to more children entering the system than there are foster homes and residential care available to take them in.
