pennsylvania

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

REPORT ON THE FATALITY

OF:

Summer Chambers

Date of Birth: 07/17 /2016

Date of Incident: 12/19/2016

Date of Report to ChildLine: 12/27/2016

CWIS Referral ID:

FAMILY KNOWN TO COUNTY CHILDREN AND YOUTH AGENCY AT TIME OF

INCIDENT OR WITHIN THE PRECEDING 16 MONTHS:

Cambria County Children and Youth Services

REPORT FINALIZED ON:

06/12/2017

Unredacted reports are confidential under the provisions of the Child Protective

Services Law and cannot be released to the public.

(23 Pa. C.S. Section 6340)

Unauthorized release is prohibited under penalty of law.

(23 Pa. C.S. Section 6349 (b))

Department of Public Welfare/Office of Children, Youth and Families, Central Region

3 Ginko Dr., Hilltop Bldg, 2nd Fir., PO Box 2675 I Harrisburg, PA 17110 I 717.772.7702 I F 717.772-7071

PO Box 319, Hollidaysburg Community Service Center I Hollidaysburg, PA 16648 I 814.696.6174 I F 814.696-6180

www.dhs.pa .gov

Reason for Review:

Pursuant to the Child Protective Services Law, the Department, through OCYF, must
conduct a review and provide a written report of all cases of suspected child abuse
that result in a fatality or near fatality. This written report must be completed as
soon as possible but no later than six months after the date the report was
registered with Childline for investigation.

The Child Protective Services Law also requires that county children and youth
agencies convene a review when a report of child abuse involving a fatality or near
fatality is substantiated or when a status determination has not been made
regarding the report within 30 days of the report to Childline.

Cambria County convened a review team in accordance with the Child Protective
Services Law related to this report. The county review team was convened on
January 18, 2017.

Family Constellation:

First and Last Name: Relationship: Date of Birth

Summer Chambers victim child 07/17/2016
Mother 1997
Father 1989

Summary of OCYF Child CNearl Fatality Review Activities:

The Central Region Office of Children, Youth and Families (CROCYF) reviewed case
records pertaining to the family. CROCYF representative engaged the following
Cambria County Children and Youth Services (CYS) personnel to discuss the
incident: Director, Casework Supervisor, and Caseworker.

CROCYF Human Services Program Representative attended and participated in the

Act 33 meeting that occurred on January 18, 2017 in which medical professionals,
social service professionals, school district representatives, and law enforcement
were present and provided information regarding the incident, as well as historical
information.

Children and Youth Involvement prior to Incident:

The mother and father of the identified child were

on two separate reports. The first report was on
06/20/2016 and the second was on 07/14/2016 where different victims stated that
the were prostituted by both arents. Cambria Count Children and Youth
both individuals A
report was received on 11/16/2016 stating that the father had overdosed a
day or two previously. The Agency met with the family on 12/07/2016. The victim
child's mother and father were drug screened on 12/8/16. The mother was negative

for all substances and the father was positive for alcohol. The oarents a
be meeting the child's needs at that time and
was still active at the time of the parents' death.

Circumstances of Child Fatality and Related Case Activity:

A 5-month-old female child died on December 20, 2016 due to starvation and
dehydration. Cambria Count Children and Youth Services (CYS) - the case
on 01/24/2017 with as perpetrators. The agency
reasoned that the child died as a result of lack of parental care. The child's parents
died of an overdose o f - on approximately December 16, 2016 resulting in
the child dying of dehydration and starvation. The Cambria County Coroner stated
that an autopsy on the infant confirmed that the victim child died 3-4 days after her
parents' death from dehydration/starvation as no other adults were there to provide
vital care. The bodies of the victim child and her parents were discovered on
12/23/2016. The Coroner ruled the infant's death ho~I
neglect. There were no other children in the home. . . . . . . _ . . Police
Department is in charge of inves~ both parents and of the
victim child. It is noted that the - - - - - were being~
the Federal Bureau of Investigations (Pittsburgh division) and t h e _ _ _ .
Police Department for sex trafficking underage girls at the time of the incident. Due
to the tragic circumstances, there was no identified need for Cambria County CYS
to initiate services.

Summary of County Strengths, Deficiencies and Recommendations for

Change as Identified by the County's Child Fatality Report:

Strengths in compliance with statutes, regulations and services to children

and families

The Act 33 Team recommended that the CYS agency continue their internal
conversations about how they respond to parents/caregivers using heroin
and to parents/caregivers who have over dosed.

The Act 33 Team recommended that the CYS agency explore what kind of
information/resources they can provide for the parents/caregivers in relation
to their addiction and how they can encourage them to build a network of
support.

Deficiencies in compliance with statutes, regulations and services to children

and families

The Act 33 Team did not reference any specific recommendations.

Recommendations for changes at the state and local levels on reducing the
likelihood of future child fatalities and near fatalities directly related to abuse

The Act 33 Team did not reference any specific recommendations.

 Recommendations for changes at the state and local levels on monitoring

and inspection of county agencies

The Act 33 Team did not reference any specific recommendations.

Recommendations for changes at the state and local levels on collaboration

of community agencies and service providers to prevent child abuse.

The Act 33 Team did not reference any specific recommendations.

Department Review of County Internal Report:

The CROCVF received the Cambria County CVS Child Fatality Child Review Team
Summary on January 18, 2017. Upon review of the report, CROCYF assessed that
the documentation efficiently described the incident, the actions taken by the
agencies involved, and the current status of the case. There were no issues or
concerns regarding the content of the report.

Department of Human Services Findings:

County Strengths:

The CVS agency ensured representatives of OCVF's Regional Office were kept
abreast on their investigation and outcomes.

County Weaknesses:

At the time of this report, CROCYF has not identified any County weaknesses.

Statutory and Regulatory Areas of Non-Compliance by the County Agency:

At the time of this report, CROCVF has not identified areas of regulatory non
compliance.

Department of Human Services Recommendations:

The CROCVF has no recommendations in regards to this incident.