May 13, 2025 Report of the Office of the Child Advocate Child Fatality Review Panel

Published on Tuesday, May 13, 2025

The Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) is an independent, autonomous state agency tasked with the immense responsibility  of protecting the legal rights of children involved with the Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF), to promote policies and practices, which ensure that children are safe, that children have permanent and stable families, and that children in out-of-home placement have their physical, mental, medical, educational, emotional, and behavioral needs met. The OCA functions as the oversight agency to DCYF. 

On February 21, 2024, the OCA and the Child Fatality Review Panel, pursuant to R.I.G.L 42-73-2.3 commenced the review of twenty-three (23) near fatalities and seven (7) fatalities. The panel and OCA staff have concluded extensive case review, analysis, and discussion reviewing the cases involving fatalities and near fatalities resulting from substance exposure or substance use.  

The OCA is issuing a public report outlining the panel’s findings and recommendations which will be made public on the OCA website in alignment with statutory requirements.  

The OCA recognizes the profound impact a near fatality or fatality has on families, friends, and the community. The OCA and the panel understand the significance of our role and approached the review of these difficult cases with diligence and care. Our goal is to develop meaningful recommendations for policy and practice changes that can help prevent similar tragedies in the future.