Child Death Review Program

The Child Death Review (CDR) Program was implemented in Michigan in 1995 to conduct in-depth reviews of child deaths and identify ways to prevent them. In Michigan, there are 77 local CDR teams covering all 83 counties. Some teams serve a two-county jurisdiction.

CDR is a collaborative process that brings together local professionals from a variety of disciplines who volunteer their time to share and discuss comprehensive information on the circumstances surrounding the deaths of children. Local CDR team membership is comprised of six mandated members, which include:

  1. the Health Department;
  2. the Medical Examiner’s Office;
  3. Law Enforcement;
  4. the Department of Health and Human Services;
  5. the Prosecutor’s Office; and
  6. the Court.

Local CDR teams may add further membership or invite guests as necessary, including representatives from emergency medical services, hospitals and other medical facilities, schools, organizations providing mental health and/or substance use services, and organizations serving those impacted by domestic or sexual violence. In total, more than 1,500 professionals volunteer their time to serve on a local CDR team in Michigan.

Local CDR teams use what they learn during the review process to develop findings and recommendations which they share with other local entities who can help translate them into prevention initiatives that address needs specific to their communities.

The goals of CDR are to influence policy and practice changes that:

  • Improve death scene investigations;
  • Improve the delivery of services to families; and
  • Prevent future fatalities.

It is important to note that CDR is not about assigning blame, determining cause or manner of death, or prosecuting cases, as the teams have no official authority in any of these areas.

For each death reviewed, a standardized data reporting tool developed by the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention (NCFRP) is completed and the data is entered into the web-based National Fatality Review-Case Reporting System (NFR-CRS). This reporting tool was developed with input from many states through their CDR programs. The NCFRP regularly updates the data collection instrument.

Child Death State Advisory Team

The Michigan Child Death State Advisory Team was established by Public Act 167 of 1997 (MCL 722.627b) to “identify and make recommendations on policy and statutory changes pertaining to child fatalities and to guide statewide prevention, education and training efforts.” The State Advisory Team also provides support to local CDR teams, recommends improvements in protocols and procedures for the Michigan Child Death Review Program, and reviews Michigan’s child mortality data as well as local child death review team findings and recommendations to identify causes, risk factors, and trends in child deaths. The team is responsible for preparing an annual report on child fatalities in Michigan and presenting it to the Governor and the Legislature. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has administrative responsibility for the State Advisory Team.

 The advisory committee created under subsection (4) consists of the following:

  • Two representatives of the department.
  • Two representatives of the department of community health.
  • One county medical examiner.
  • One representative of law enforcement.
  • One county prosecuting attorney.
  • The children’s ombudsman or his or her designee.
  • A representative of a state or local court.

Citizen Review Panel on Child Fatalities

The Federal Government mandated the formation of the Citizens Review Panel (CRP) in 1999 for the purpose of providing an opportunity for citizens to aid in ensuring that states meet goals of protecting children from abuse and neglect by evaluating the strengths, weaknesses, and challenges in the child welfare delivery system. The CRP on Child Fatalities meets quarterly to review and examine the identified cases of child fatalities where the family had previous interaction with the child protection system that have occurred within a given year. At the end of the calendar year, the Panel compiles their findings and recommendations in a report that is presented to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for their knowledge and consideration in hopes of improving the child welfare system in Michigan.

Many of the people who serve on the Child Death State Advisory Team also participate in the Citizen Review Panel on Child Fatalities.