Child Death Review Team | Kern County, CA

What is the Kern County Child Death Review Team?

The Child Death Review Team (CDRT) is a multidisciplinary team in Kern County dedicated to reducing preventable child deaths. Established under California legislation in 1988, the team includes representatives from public health, law enforcement, child welfare, the coroner’s office, and other key agencies. CDRT reviews all child deaths (ages 0–17) under Kern County jurisdiction to determine preventability and recommend systemic improvements.

Annual Report

CDRT creates an annual report to analyzing trends and sharing findings, the report serves as a catalyst for systematic change and community action to protect Kern County’s children.

The CDRT report aims to:

Identify causes and circumstances of child deaths in Kern County.
Inform prevention strategies through data-driven insights.
Promote interagency collaboration to improve child safety and well-being.
Raise public awareness and support policy and programmatic changes that reduce preventable child fatalities.

Highlights from the current report

2024 Child Death Review Report
47 out of 128 child deaths in 2024 were reviewed and deemed likely preventable by the Kern County Coroner’s Office.
Substantiated child abuse and neglect rates in Kern County have declined to their lowest in five years, yet the county’s 5-year average remains nearly 62% higher than the California state average.
The report includes data on causes and manners of death, health disparities, and specific issues like SUID/SIDS, suicide, and fentanyl-related deaths.
CDRT participates in the California Child Fatality Surveillance System (CCFSS), contributing data and receiving funding to support local prevention projects like the Safe Sleep Project.

Past CDRT Reports