2.7Death of Child Under Court’s Jurisdiction

If a child dies while under the court’s jurisdiction under MCL 712A.2(b), the DHHS must notify the court in writing or electronically within one business day of the child’s death.¹ MCL 722.627k(1). The DHHS must also notify the child advocate within one business day of a child’s death when any of the following apply:

“(a) The child died during an active child protective services investigation or an open child protective services case.

(b) The [DHHS] received a prior child protective services complaint concerning the child’s caretaker.

(c) The child’s death may have resulted from child abuse or child neglect.” MCL 722.627k(2).

Note: MCL 722.627b requires a “citizen review panel^[2] [to] review each child fatality that involves allegations of child abuse or child neglect for each child who, at the time of death or within 12 months preceding the death, was under the court’s jurisdiction under . . . [MCL 712A.2(b)].” MCL 722.627b(6).

The DHHS must also “establish and maintain a registry of statistical information regarding children’s deaths that shall be accessible to the public.” MCL 722.627b(11). “The registry created in [MCL 722.627b] shall not disclose any identifying information and shall only include statistical information covering all of the following:

(a) The number of children who died while under court jurisdiction for child abuse or neglect regardless of placement setting.

(b) The number of children who died as a result of child abuse or neglect after a parent had 1 or more child protective services complaints within the 2 years preceding the child’s death and the category dispositions of those complaints.^[3]

(c) The total number of children as identified in subdivisions (a) and (b) who died in the preceding year.

(d) The child protective services disposition of the child fatality.” MCL 722.627b(11).