Deaths and critical injuries in Washington's child welfare system near record high

Deaths and near-fatalities among children in Washington’s child welfare system have slowed, but are still expected to hit a record level in 2025.

Through the first nine months of the year, Washington saw 15 deaths and 30 near-deaths among these children, many of them infants and toddlers, according to state data shared Friday. There were 49 total such incidents all of last year, and 51 in 2023.

Over half of this year’s incidents have been tied to opioids, especially highly potent fentanyl, according to the Department of Children, Youth and Families, the sprawling state agency that handles child welfare in Washington. At least some of the deaths and injuries involve parents repeatedly flagged over child welfare concerns.

The latest figures show improvement from the first three months of the year, which saw 22 of these incidents, the department said. In the second quarter, 14 were reported. And preliminarily, there were nine in the third quarter.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/11/08/deaths-and-critical-injuries-in-washingtons-child-welfare-system-near-record-high/