The number of Georgia children who died despite intervention from the state’s social services agency increased by 18 percent from 2012 to 2013, according to a report released today.
Officials cautioned, however, that the increase may partly come from more rigorous reporting of children’s deaths by counties across the state.
The state Division of Family and Children Services said 180 children died in 2013 even though their families had received assistance or had been investigated for abuse or neglect in the previous five years. In 2012, 152 children died.
Almost half the 180 children were no more than 12 months old. About four in 10 died from natural causes, DFCS said.
Among the 15 DFCS regions, the greatest number of deaths — 25 — occurred in Fulton and DeKalb counties. Eighteen children died in those counties in 2012.
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