For Immediate Release
10/9/08

Baker's Child Protection Legislation Signed Into Law

Harrisburg – Legislation establishing a Public Health Child Death Review Program to promote safety and reduce child fatalities has been signed into law by the governor, according to Senator Lisa Baker (R-20), who sponsored the measure.

"We need to do all we can to protect the health and safety of children and prevent future child deaths and injuries," Baker said.  "By building a strong and coordinated effort among local and state agencies, we can improve the delivery of services to children, families, providers and community members."

Under the new law, local and state multidisciplinary teams comprised of doctors, law enforcement officials, district attorneys, coroners and others, will work together to identify risk factors and trends in child deaths and improve criminal investigations and prosecutions of child homicides.  The Department of Health, in cooperation with the State Public Health Child Death Review Team, will assist in creating local teams and organizing the collection of child death data.

"Many people have been working together at the local level for years, but Pennsylvania was one of only three states without a law on the books," said Baker. "Now we will have a framework in place so that reviews are performed consistently across the state, which will lead to better injury prevention efforts at the local level." 

Contact:

Maggie Giannelli
(717) 787-7428

  Print this page

 E-mail this page

Back