Second Review Initiated Following Child Deaths in Franklin County
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The State Department of Children and Youth (DCY) is collaborating with Franklin County Children Services to investigate the deaths of five young children over the past 15 months. Each child’s family was involved with children services prior to their tragic deaths, and caregivers have been charged in connection with these cases.
Governor Mike DeWine stressed the seriousness of these tragedies. “When a tragedy occurs, a child dies — that’s a very, very horrible thing. We need to know what happened,” he stated. The review process follows the death of five-year-old Darnell Taylor in February 2024, after which the state allocated additional resources to support forensic reviews and case-specific discussions.
DCY Chief Communications Officer Jodi Norton Trimble highlighted that each fatality raises alarms, prompting enhanced collaboration with county agencies. Franklin County Children Services spokesman Scott Varner noted they are conducting internal reviews while actively coordinating with state partners to gather comprehensive case information.
To address the underlying causes of these fatalities, Franklin County Family Services Director Emily Green stated they are still engaging with families affected by the recent tragedies. A trend has emerged: three of the five deaths involved a change in family dynamics due to a new partner, raising concerns about rising domestic violence and its potential impact on children.
In a proactive measure, Franklin County Children Services plans to donate $500,000 to LSS CHOICES, the county’s only emergency domestic violence center, with half of its occupants being children. The funding proposal is slated for a board vote on May 29th.
The ongoing investigation aims to draw lessons that could prevent future tragedies and better safeguard vulnerable children in the community.
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