Mission Statement

To Reduce Preventable Child Abuse and Neglect Deaths.

What is the Child Death Review Team?

The Florida Child Abuse Death Review Program was established in 1999 and is administered by the Florida Department of Health. The Child Death Review Program utilizes state and locally developed multi-disciplinary teams to conduct detailed reviews of the facts and circumstances surrounding child abuse and neglect deaths in which a verified report of abuse or neglect was accepted by the Florida Abuse Hotline Information System within the Department of Children and Families (DCF). The major purpose of the program is to develop and implement date-driven recommendations for reducing child abuse and neglect deaths.

Authority

Section 383.402, Florida Statutes, authorizes state-wide and locally developed multi-disciplinary committees to conduct detailed reviews of the facts and circumstances surrounding child abuse and neglect deaths in which a verified report of abuse or neglect was accepted by the Florida Abuse Hotline within the Department of Children and Family Services. In 2009 the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center obtained the contact to administer the Sexual Abuse Treatment Program for Bay, Calhoun, Holmes, Gulf, Jackson, and Washington Counties.

Purpose

    1. Develop a community based approach to address child abuse deaths and contributing factors.

       

    2. Achieve a greater understanding of the causes and contributing factors of deaths resulting from child abuse or neglect.

       

    3. Identify gaps, deficiencies or problems in service delivery to children and families by public and private agencies that may be related to child abuse deaths.

       

    4. Develop and implement data-driven recommendations for reducing child abuse and neglect deaths.

If you would like to learn more about the Child Abuse Death Review Team or about the Gulf Coast CAC, please contact our office at 850-872-7760 or click on the “Contact” link on our website to submit your inquiry.