September 22, 2026 Office of the Child Advocate Child Fatality Review Panel Reconvened
Published on Tuesday, September 22, 2026
The Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) is an independent, autonomous state agency tasked with the broad statutory responsibility to protect 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 safeguard the physical, mental, medical, educational, emotional, and behavioral needs of children in out-of-home placement. The OCA functions as the oversight agency to DCYF.
Pursuant to Rhode Island General Law (R.I.G.L.) § 42-73-2.3(b)(1)-(3), the OCA shall convene a Child Fatality Review Panel (Panel) to review fatalities and near fatalities of children under the age of twenty-one (21) if the statutory criteria are met.
In May 2025, the OCA and the Panel, pursuant to R.I.G.L § 42-73-2.3, released a Report of the Office of the Child Advocate Child Fatality Review Panel following the review, analysis, and discussion of twenty-three (23) near fatalities and seven (7) fatalities involving substance exposure or substance use. The report included fifty-six (56) recommendations to DCYF, the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals, Rhode Island Department of Health, and the Governor’s Council on Behavioral Health. Of those fifty-six (56) recommendations, thirty-eight (38) specifically addressed adolescent substance use and high-risk behaviors.
The OCA is announcing the reconvening of that Panel to review four (4) fatalities and six (6) near fatalities involving adolescent substance use that occurred between 2024 and 2026, including one (1) fatality in 2024, one (1) fatality and five (5) near fatalities in 2025, one (1) fatality and two
(2) near fatalities in 2026. The focus of the report will review and assess the progress made toward implementing the recommendations identified in the May 2025 Report of the Office of the Child Advocate Child Fatality Review Panel. The OCA will examine the progress, actions, and ongoing efforts related to the implementation of these recommendations, identify areas where additional work may be needed, and consider how the findings from the newly reviewed cases inform the recommendations. Upon completion of the Panel’s review and analysis, the OCA and Panel will issue a supplemental report to the May 2025 report in accordance with statutory requirements.
The Panel membership includes Linda Shaw, M.D., Ken Fandetti, Captain Gregg Catlow, Michele Paliotta, LICSW, and Rachel Weitz, DNP, PMHNP-BC.
The OCA and the Panel recognize the profound impact that near fatalities and fatalities have on families, friends, and communities. Our goal throughout this review process is to drive systemic change by identifying and addressing gaps in policy, practice, and services to help prevent similar tragedies in the future.