Pennsylvania's state budget has allocated $242,000 to support the Child Death Review program, a move that falls significantly short of initial proposals.. This funding is intended to assist county teams in analyzing the circumstances surrounding deaths of individuals under age 21.
The $2.2 million gap in Governor Shapiro's vision
Governor Josh Shapiro originally proposed $2.5 million for the Child Death Review program to overhaul how Pennsylvania handles pediatric mortality data. The final budget, however, provides only a small fraction of that requested amount, leaving a significant gap between the administration's goals and the actual resources available. As the report notes, the Shapiro administration expressed disappointment regarding this funding level.
The original plan from the Governor's office included a multi-pronged approach involving new state-level staff, grant opportunities, and a public education campaign. With only $242,000 on the table, many of these ambitious objectives appear increasingly out of reach for the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
A backlog of unreviewed deaths since 2020
County officials in Pennsylvania have struggled to keep up with the state mandate due to a lack of dedicated resources and personnel. Many deaths have gone unreviewed by local teams since 2020 , creaitng a dangerous gap in the state's ability to identify and prevent future tragedies.
Most county Child Death Review teams rely heavily on volunteers to fulfill their legal obligations. These teams consist of various professionals, including:
- Local healthcare professionals
- Law enforcement officers
- Child protective service providers
- Coroners or medical examiners
Cathleen Palm's warning on the "insulting" budget allocation
Cathleen Palm,the founder of the Center for Children's Justice, has criticized the current funding level as "an insulting number." She argues that the state is asking local teams to perform complex tasks without providing the necessary state-level infrastructure to support them.
According to the report, Palm has expressed skepticism for months that lawmakers would prioritize the funding necessary to make the program functional. She emphasizes that the program is not just a bureaucratic requirement but a vital tool for protecting the lives of children through learned prevention strategies.
Can $242,000 actually fund new state-level staff?
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has stated it intends to use the limited funds to explore hiring additional staff and increasing capacity for data collection and analysis. However, it remains unclear how such a modest sum can support meaningful expansion in a state with numerous counties.
There are significant questions regarding whether this money will reach the local teams most in need or if it will be absorbed by state-level administrative ovehread.. Furthermore, the source does not clarify if the state has a specific timeline for when the backlog of deaths dating back to 2020 will be addressed.
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