INDIANA — A recent report presented to the Child Services Interim Study Committee highlights a troubling trend: injury is the leading cause of death among children in Indiana. This alarming finding comes as the state grapples with a persistent issue of child abuse and neglect, struggling to reduce the number of fatalities linked to these tragedies.
Between 2016 and 2022, the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) reported an average of 60 child deaths annually due to abuse or neglect. Braelynn Yerington from Champions for Children Indiana expressed her concern, stating, “It’s taking too long for us to get data. Every four minutes, a child is treated for an injury in an emergency room in Indiana,” a troubling statistic included in the report.
Yerington raised red flags regarding the response to calls made to Indiana’s Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline, suggesting that many reports go unaddressed. “A lot of these kids had previous substantiated or unsubstantiated assessments, meaning there were investigations prior to that fatality,” she noted.
A separate report from the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) further underscores the severity of the issue, revealing that from 2007 to 2022, approximately 4,400 children suffered fatal injuries, solidifying injury as the predominant cause of death among Indiana’s youth.
The findings have sparked renewed calls for improved data collection and response measures to protect the state’s vulnerable children. As the committee and advocates continue to push for changes, the urgency of addressing child safety remains at the forefront of community discussions.
