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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT: Amy
Giancoli Hartman |
State Rep. Frank
Dermody |
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Dermody bill to increase accountability for prevention of child abuse fatalities passes House
HARRISBURG, July 3 -- A bill introduced by Rep. Frank Dermody, D-Oakmont, that would help prevent child deaths and serious injuries caused by child abuse was unanimously approved today by the House and now goes to the Senate for its consideration.
"With the passage of this bill, we're now one step closer to ensuring that all Pennsylvania children are protected from child abuse," Dermody said. "Uniform and objective procedures will help us learn from each tragic and senseless child abuse death and near fatality to improve our practices and services and prevent future tragedies."
Current law does not provide specific guidelines for the review and reporting of child fatalities and near fatalities resulting from abuse.
Under the bill (H.B. 823), whenever a child's death or serious injury occurs by child abuse, a group of local experts in the county where it happened would be formed to conduct a full review and report back to the state Department of Public Welfare. The same would occur in a county where the child lived within the last 16 months.
The review group would focus on the circumstances of each case, including the services provided by community agencies and professionals, as well as the county’s compliance with the law. The team also would recommend steps to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies.
Dermody said the bill also would increase accountability because the final report from the group would be available to the public.
“The reporting will serve as a mechanism for enhanced state and local oversight and improvement of our child protective services system,” Dermody said. “By using this method of local and state agency collaboration, we can improve our capacity to reduce the number of young lives lost or seriously injured by child abuse.”
According to DPW, 31 children died from abuse in 2006; another nine cases involved near fatalities where child abuse was substantiated.
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