AI-assisted research summary: The department must make an aggregated report on child fatality and near-fatality cases linked to abuse or neglect, and the report must protect individual identities.
Sec. 264.5032. REPORT ON CHILD FATALITY AND NEAR FATALITY DATA. (a) The department shall produce an aggregated report relating to child fatality and near fatality cases resulting from child abuse or neglect containing the following information: (1) any prior contact the department had with the child's family and the manner in which the case was disposed, including cases in which the department made the following dispositions: (A) priority none or administrative closure; (B) call screened out; (C) alternative or differential response provided; (D) unable to complete the investigation; (E) unable to determine whether abuse or neglect occurred; (F) reason to believe abuse or neglect occurred; or (G) child removed and placed into substitute care; (2) for any case investigated by the department involving the child or the child's family: (A) the number of caseworkers assigned to the case before the fatality or near fatality occurred; and (B) the caseworker's caseload at the time the case was opened and at the time the case was closed; (3) for any case in which the department investigation concluded that there was reason to believe that abuse or neglect occurred, and the family was referred to family-based safety services: (A) the safety plan provided to the family; (B) the services offered to the family; and (C) the level of compliance with the safety plan or completion of the services by the family; (4) the number of contacts the department made with children and families in family-based safety services cases; and (5) the initial and attempted contacts the department made with child abuse and neglect victims. (b) In preparing the part of the report required by Subsection (a)(1), the department shall include information contained in department records retained in accordance with the department's records retention schedule. (c) The report produced under this section must protect the identity of individuals involved in a case that is included in the report. (d) The department may combine the report required under this section with the annual child fatality report required to be produced under Section 261.204. Added by Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 822 (H.B. 1549), Sec. 7, eff. September 1, 2017.