Report shows child deaths in Santa Clara County were avoidable - San Jose Spotlight

A county review found that most deaths of children under county care from 2021 to 2023 were avoidable. A medical examiner report examined 108 of 315 child deaths and found an increasing pattern of deaths occurring in dysfunctional households. Contributing factors included drug use and school truancy. The report attributed deaths to neglect, homicide by parents, guardians, or third parties, inadequate caretaking, drug overdoses, suicide, and other adolescent high-risk behavior. County leaders discussed the findings alongside improved overall youth mortality trends. Public health officials reported a decline in the all-cause death rate for ages 0 to 17 compared with earlier years. Officials requested plans to use childhood trauma information to better support families and to analyze legal limits on investigations of abuse allegations.

"A February county medical examiner report studied 108 out of a total 315 child deaths and found an increasing trend of deaths occurring in dysfunctional households, with issues such as drug use and school truancy being factors in some cases. The report shows 12 children died by neglect; 12 from homicide by parents, guardians or third parties; 17 died from inadequate caretaking; 15 from drug overdoses; 22 died by suicide; and 18 deaths were deemed to be connected with other adolescent high-risk behavior."

"“This is the first time that a child death review item has ever been heard in front of the board, which to me is unbelievable,” District 1 Supervisor Sylvia Arenas, who has been championing child welfare reforms, said at the meeting. “(The report) clearly states most of the deaths were preventable. That is a real shame.” Arenas called for staff to report back with a plan for how county departments can use childhood trauma information to better support families, as well as an analysis on how state and federal laws limit the county's ability to investigate abuse allegations."

"Officials balanced the findings from the county medical examiner report with more positive trends. Public health officials at the meeting said the all-cause death rate among youth ages 0-17 has decreased from an average of 29.8 deaths per 100,000 children from 2015 through 2019 to 27 deaths per 100,000 children from 2020 through 2024. As of 2024, the county's child death rate was well below state and national averages of 37 and 49.4"

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