What we do

We are notified about all deaths of children and young people up to 17 years of age in Western Australia.

We identify if:

• there have been concerns for the safety and wellbeing of the deceased child, or a child relative, reported to the Department of Communities in the two years before the death occurred, or
• whether the deceased child was in the care of the Department of Communities

We review these child deaths. We can also review child deaths that don’t meet these criteria.

During our review, we look for opportunities that agencies may have had to improve their service or intervene to reduce the chances of the death occurring. We look at ways the agencies could make improvements to prevent future deaths in similar circumstances. Patterns and trends from deaths are also examined. We then make recommendations to agencies.

Public reporting on our child death role is available:

• 2025 and earlier: in our Annual Reports
• 2026 onward: in Child Death Review Reports