CPS asks Olympia for help to change way it investigates death of children
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OLYMPIA -- Our state's Child Protective Service wants to change the way it investigates the deaths of children here, and Friday it asked state law-makers for help.
CPS is pushing a new bill that would let it cut down significantly on the number of child deaths it reviews. And according to at least one watchdog organization, that's a good thing because it will focus the department's attention specifically on cases of abuse or neglect.
When the KOMO Problem Solvers investigated CPS cases, we found more than 100 cases where children had died from abuse or neglect while under the oversight of the state.
But in order to find those 100-plus cases, we had to read through more than 700 child fatality reports currently required by state law. CPS wants to change that law so that it only investigates those cases where abuse or neglect is suspected, and it will then use those freed-up resources to investigate cases of near-deaths.
That move is supported by the state ombudsman -- the watchdog organization that keeps tabs on CPS.
Lawmakers in both the state House and Senate have now heard versions of this bill, but it still has several legislative hurdles before it would become law.
CPS is pushing a new bill that would let it cut down significantly on the number of child deaths it reviews. And according to at least one watchdog organization, that's a good thing because it will focus the department's attention specifically on cases of abuse or neglect.
When the KOMO Problem Solvers investigated CPS cases, we found more than 100 cases where children had died from abuse or neglect while under the oversight of the state.
But in order to find those 100-plus cases, we had to read through more than 700 child fatality reports currently required by state law. CPS wants to change that law so that it only investigates those cases where abuse or neglect is suspected, and it will then use those freed-up resources to investigate cases of near-deaths.
That move is supported by the state ombudsman -- the watchdog organization that keeps tabs on CPS.
Lawmakers in both the state House and Senate have now heard versions of this bill, but it still has several legislative hurdles before it would become law.
