Summers reacts to data on child fatalities, demands preventative action

Today (Sept. 18), the Interim Study Committee on Child Services met to discuss updates from the Indiana Department of Health and Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) on child fatalities in our state and solutions to combat the issue.

In 2022, 4,422 Hoosier children between the ages of zero and 17 died as a result of injuries, which include homicide, drowning, suicide, and transportation accidents. According to DCS, 308 deaths were investigated, and in 61 of these cases, the cause of death was confirmed to be caused by abuse or neglect. The same data shows that 67% of these children were three or younger.

“We aren't doing enough to move the needle to help Hoosier children,” State Rep. Vanessa Summers (D-Indianapolis) said. “As legislators, we have a duty to protect the most vulnerable. Children are entirely dependent on the adults in their lives. When an adult fails as a guardian, it is the child who is left to face the consequences.

“We need to be proactive instead of reactive to protect our children. If we want to reduce the number of child deaths in our state, we must invest in combating risk factors that heighten the risk of abuse, such as low-familiar income, mental health and substance abuse. Our state has continually failed to do so, and the cost is our children's lives.”