Measure To Create Child Abuse Review Panel Passes

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...A measure to create an external panel to review child abuse cases involving fatalities or near fatalities was approved Tuesday by the Kentucky House of Representatives by a vote of 96-0. The 13-member state panel of experts would review how child abuse cases were handled by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. A child fatality review team would be created to refer information to the panel which would include members with specific professional backgrounds, including a pediatrician, a family court judge, a court-appointed special advocate, a prosecutor and a coroner, and others. The bill also would create an Independent Office of Investigation for Child Protective Services that would investigate and make recommendations for improvements. Both the panel and the office would have the power to subpoena records. The bill would expand the list of household members about which reports of abuse or neglect are initially reported to the cabinet without immediately notifying law enforcement.