A new report reveals a 29% increase in child deaths under state oversight in Nebraska, but the state's inspector general says the statistic requires important context to understand the full picture.
The Office of Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare released the report showing the significant jump in child deaths. However, Inspector General Jennifer Craft says that the number can be misleading because many reported deaths are from medical conditions rather than abuse or neglect.
"This year, we actually only had one more compared to last year in terms of the things that we have to investigate, which are ones that are really more the result of abuse and neglect," Craft said.
Data shows that nine of those deaths required mandatory OIG investigations:
The report comes after a tragic case last year when a 5-year-old child died in an Omaha parking lot after being left in a vehicle for hours by his foster mother.
Since 2016, the office has identified a troubling pattern in its investigations. It has investigated 15 cases where children died or were seriously injured by people who had regular access to the child but were not designated caretakers.
"In our investigations, it has often been the significant other of the parent. We need to be a little broader and a little more robust in our assessment of who is in the household and who we are looking at in terms of potential safety threats to the child," Craft said.
The Inspector General's Office was created in 2012, and this spring the legislature strengthened its oversight authority. Craft emphasizes the shared goal of child protection across agencies.
"They have the intention of wanting to make sure every child is safe. That's what we do. We can just maybe see something from our vantage point and just offer the recommendation," Craft said.
Based on the findings, Craft recommends the Department of Health and Human Services broaden who they assess for child safety beyond primary and secondary caretakers to include all household members who may pose potential safety threats. The department can choose whether or not to implement the inspector general's recommendation.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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