It is the policy of this State that:

(1) every child is entitled to live in safety and in health and to survive into adulthood;

(2) responding to child deaths is a state and a community responsibility;

(3) when a child dies, the response by the State and the community to the death must include an accurate and complete determination of the cause of death, the provision of services to surviving family members, and the development and implementation of measures to prevent future deaths from similar causes and may include court action, including prosecution of persons who may be responsible for the death and family court proceedings to protect other children in the care of the responsible person;

(4) professionals from disparate disciplines and agencies who have responsibilities for children and expertise that can promote child safety and well-being should share their expertise and knowledge toward the goals of determining the causes of children's deaths, planning and providing services to surviving children and nonoffending family members, and preventing future child deaths;

(5) a greater understanding of the incidence and causes of child deaths is necessary if the State is to prevent future child deaths;

(6) multi-disciplinary and multi-agency reviews of child deaths can assist the State in the investigation of child deaths, in the development of a greater understanding of the incidence and causes of child deaths and the methods for preventing such deaths, and in identifying gaps in services to children and families;

(7) access to information regarding deceased children and their families by the Department of Child Fatalities is necessary to achieve the department's purposes and duties; and

(8) competent investigative services must be sensitive to the needs of South Carolina's children and their families and not unnecessarily intrusive and should be achieved through training, awareness, and technical assistance.

HISTORY: 2008 Act No. 361, Section 2.