Sec. 24. (a) Before December 31 of each year, the department shall annually prepare a report concerning all child fatalities in Indiana that are the result of child abuse or neglect in the preceding calendar year. The report must include the following information:
(1) A summary of the information gathered concerning child fatalities resulting from abuse or neglect.
(2) Demographic information regarding victims, perpetrators, and households involved in child fatalities resulting from abuse or neglect.
(3) An analysis of the primary risk factors involved in child fatalities resulting from abuse or neglect.
(4) A summary of the most frequent causes of child fatalities resulting from abuse or neglect.
(5) A description of the manner in which the information was assembled.
The department shall post the report prepared under this section on the department's Internet web site.
(b) As part of the summary of information described in subsection (a)(1), the report must include whether any of the following apply:
(1) The child's death occurred while the child was placed in foster care.
(2) The child's death occurred after the child, who was once placed in foster care, was returned to a natural parent.
(3) The child was a ward of the department at the time of the event that led to the child's death.
(c) Not later than January 31 of each year, the department shall provide to the executive director of the legislative services agency, for distribution to the interim study committee on child services, a copy of the most recent annual report prepared by the department under this section. The report provided to the executive director of the legislative services agency under this subsection must be in an electronic format under IC 5-14-6.
As added by P.L.119-2013, SEC.9. Amended by P.L.98-2019, SEC.1; P.L.148-2021, SEC.7.