According to the most recent Department of Human Services (DHS) 2023 Child Protective Services report, the number of fatalities and near fatalities have trended downward since 2022.

However, director of bureau programs, policy and operation within the Department, Amanda Dorris said the numbers are still too high.

According to the recent report, there were 57 child fatalities and 119 near fatalities in 2023. In 2022, there were 60 fatalities, and 138 near fatalities.

Director of programs at Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance (PFSA), Haven Evans, said for a case to be considered a near fatality, a doctor must certify that that child would have died without medical intervention.

DHS said getting these numbers trending downward is one of their biggest priorities coming off the release of the report.

“Violent acts remaining the leading cause of substantiated fatalities,” Dorris said. “So, we need to take that information look what services can we give to families before. Upstream and a preventative model.”

Dorris said it’s extremely important to understand the root cause of why these fatalities and near fatalities are happening.

According to the report, violent acts are the most common cause of death, but a lack of supervision comes as a close second.

“The fact that over half of these fatalities, and near fatalities are also due to severe neglect should cause us to really look at these cases, especially with the children under the age of five,” Evans said.

According to the report, 75 percent of the fatalities were of children under the age of five, and 87 percent of the near fatalities were kids under five.

Evans said parental stress is a contributing factor to a lot of abuse and neglect cases.

A recent report by the U.S. Surgeon General shows right now is one of the most stressful times to be a parent.

It noted that 41 percent of parents said most days they’re so stressed they can’t function.

“The stress and mental health challenges faced by parents just like loneliness, workplace well-being, and the impact of social media on youth mental health aren’t always visible, but they can definitely take a steep toll,” Evans said.

Evan said to better support families, PSFA is putting a stress on early intervention to families, and teaching the community how to step in when seeing parents that may be struggling.

Other Parents Like Me (OPLM) is a nationwide group helping to be a resource for parents who may be stressed or overwhelmed.

CEO of OPLM, Casie Fariello said stress for parents can come from isolation or a lack of a support system.

“There’s still a lot of shame and stigma, which I think is what the surgeon general report was really focusing on,” Fariello said “Parents are so afraid to share what’s happening behind their four walls.”

Some suggested tips for stressed parents include meditating, getting out in the sun, and finding another parent that you can relate.

From CBS21, September 18, 2024