Great Lakes Wire

The Michigan Child Death Review (CDR) program is marking its 30th anniversary. Established in 1995, the program operates under the Michigan Public Health Institute's Center for Child and Family Health. The initiative aims to understand the causes of child deaths and reduce their occurrence by involving local professionals from various disciplines who volunteer to analyze the circumstances of these fatalities.

Initially, the CDR program began with 17 pilot county teams following legislative changes by Children’s Protective Services (CPS) and funding from The Governor’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect through the Children’s Justice Act. Today, it supports 77 local teams covering all counties in Michigan. Over 1,400 human service professionals participate annually, reviewing approximately 500 child deaths each year.

The efforts of numerous volunteers have been acknowledged for bringing insight into tragic losses and enhancing child health and safety across Michigan.