DCYF discloses death of 1-year-old child, among 14 child deaths already this year
PROVIDENCE – The state Department of Children, Youth & Families on Wednesday disclosed, as required by law, the death of a 1-year-old. The child’s death was among 14 the agency said on Monday had occurred so far this year.
The incident occurred Feb. 11. DCYF cited confidentiality laws in providing no other details about what happened.
Behind the scenes: Child deaths have spiked this year
On Monday, health experts gathered to draw public attention to what they said was an alarming spike of child deaths in Rhode Island.
So far in 2024, 14 deaths (and six near-deaths) of children from newborns to 18-year-olds have been reported to authorities, said Ashley Deckert, director of the Department of Children, Youth & Families.
Of those 14 deaths, 7 were children not yet a year old, and of those, 4 occurred in just the last week, said Seema Dixit, deputy director of the Rhode Island Department of Health.
More: 14 children have died in Rhode Island so far this year. Experts are raising the alarm.
“This is an extremely high incidence that has happened,” said Dixit.
Deckert said the 14 cases “encompass various causes, including unsafe sleep practices, accidental substance exposure, domestic violence and heart-breaking instances of self-harm.”
Last year, 33 deaths of children 18 or younger were reported in Rhode Island. In 2022, 29 deaths were reported.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: DCYF discloses death of 1-year-old child, among 14 child deaths this year
