Pennsylvania Funds Child Death Review Program at $242,000, Below Shapiro's Request
The funding falls far short of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposal as counties review only half of child death cases since 2020.
- The Pennsylvania Department of Health received $242,000 in this year's budget for the Child Death Review program, a fraction of the $2.5 million Governor Josh Shapiro proposed earlier this year.
- Policymakers have known about the program's shortcomings since at least 2024, when an East Stroudsburg University evaluation deemed it an "unfunded mandate" due to insufficient state-level support for counties.
- Christina Phillips, a retired Department of Health employee, told Spotlight PA the state must focus on "acquiring victims' difficult-to-obtain medical records." "A review is only as good as the information that you have at the table," Phillips said.
- Cathleen Palm, founder of the Center for Children's Justice, called the $242,000 allocation "an insulting number," while State Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman stated future increases require "accountability that tax dollars are being used efficiently."
- Shapiro's spokesperson Rosie Lapowsky noted the funding results from compromise in a divided government, though advocates urge lawmakers to take a comprehensive look at the state's entire approach by combining Child Death Review with Act 33.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Pennsylvania's mandatory child death review program gets fraction of requested funding as counties struggle
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Mandatory child death review program gets fraction of requested funding as counties struggle
The Pennsylvania Department of Health received $242,000 in this year’s budget to help county teams review the deaths of children, a state mandate many have struggled to keep up with.
PA struggles to fund mandated child death reviews
HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Department of Health received $242,000 in this year’s budget to help county teams review the deaths of children, a state mandate many have struggled to keep up with. The allocation is a fraction of the $2.5 million that Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed earlier this year for the Child Death Review program, and some advocates say it won’t be enough to make major changes to the failing system. The program requires counties t…
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