Ky.gov
Effective: 1/15/2016

C2.13.1 Notification and Funeral Preparation Regarding a Child Fatality

Legal Authority

Introduction

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Practice Guidance

  • The notification of the birth parents regarding a fatality or near fatality is recommended to be a personal visit. 
  • All personal and family resources, including the child’s trust fund and insurance in the child’s name, are to be exhausted before approval of Cabinet funds for funeral and burial expenses.
  • Funeral arrangements remain the responsibility of the birth parents whenever possible, unless parental rights have been terminated or a decision is made by the SRA or designee that the Cabinet will assume that responsibility. 
  • The selection of a funeral home, mortician, casket, and burial lot is to be based on estimates of cost that are reasonable and on consideration of the choice of the birth parents.
  • The SSW may purchase clothing for burial, or the birth family, foster family, extended family, etc., may provide clothing.
  • The SSW may select flowers, bill the Department, and forward the invoice to the regional billing clerk.
  • Arrangements for religious services may be made with a clergyman of the birth parents’ faith. If the birth parents’ faith is unknown, a clergyman of the foster parents’ faith may conduct services.
  • Trauma is inherent in fatality and near-fatality investigations, and in situations where a child dies while actively involved with the agency.  SOP G1.13 Debriefing Protection and Permanency (DPP) Staff on Reaction and Emotional Responses to Trauma was developed to assist P&P staff in coping with reactions to trauma.​


Procedure

Birth Parent Notification

The service region administrator (SRA) or designee: 

  1. Appoints a SSW or FSOS to immediately notify the child’s parents of the fatality or near fatality when:
    1. The child is in the custody of the Cabinet and placed out of the birth parent’s home in a:
      1. Foster home;
      2. Cabinet facility; 
      3. Psychiatric unit/hospital; or
      4. Private child-caring (PCC) facility; and
    2. Parents’ parental rights are intact;
  2. Determines whether to notify birth parents when parental rights have been terminated, there has been ongoing contact or other special circumstances, and a finalized adoption has not occurred.

Funeral Arrangements

The SSW: 

  1. Explores with the birth parents their ability to accept financial responsibility for the funeral when the child is in the custody of the Cabinet;
  2. Pre-plans the funeral with the birth parents, and/or caregiver if the birth parents are not involved, when a child is in the custody of the Cabinet and their death is imminent, which includes the following steps:
    1. Contacting funeral homes to get cost estimates for a pre-planned funeral, which includes the burial plot and opening of the grave;
    2. Submitting to the FSOS:
      1. A Special Expense Memo for the funeral to the FSOS for review, outlining the specific needs and circumstances pertinent to the request; and
      2. Copies of funeral cost estimates;
  3. Files the Special Expense Memo and the funeral cost estimate of the funeral home selected in the child’s case record upon approval by the SRA;
  4. Notifies the birth parents and/or caregiver, if the birth parents are not involved, to inform the approved funeral home and proceed with the funeral arrangements;
  5. Forwards invoices upon receipt, along with the special expense approval from the SRA, to the regional billing specialist for processing as normal;
  6. Follows the procedures as outlined in the Practice Guidance section of this SOP for funeral arrangements and payment when a child is in the custody of the Cabinet and death occurs without the opportunity for a pre-planned funeral.
The FSOS:​

  1. Upon review of the special expense form, submits the Special Expense Memo and copies of the funeral cost estimates to the SRA for approval.​

​

​​

Documents

Revisions