Queensland Family and Child Commission implements improved Child Death Register

The Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) announced today that they have successfully implemented one of Queensland’s most comprehensive Child Death Registers.  This replacement database system records the deaths of any young people under 18 years of age in Queensland.   The new system will allow the QFCC to extract information from across its 17 years of recorded data and respond to requests for data to support prevention initiatives and research.  The information is used to highlight risk factors associated with child deaths and to make recommendations to prevent deaths from occurring.

QFCC is responsible for maintaining a register of all child deaths and preparing an annual report on child deaths as well as providing access to data to undertake research to help reduce the likelihood of child deaths. The register was established in 2004 and currently contains over 7,500 records that have been classified by the cause of death, demographic and incident characteristics.   The new application has modernised the register by automating many manual processes and capturing quality information in a more structured way, making reporting easier and enabling better auditing.  QFCC Principal Commissioner Cheryl Vardon said the new system would enhance how sensitive information is captured. 

“The death of any young Queenslander is heartbreaking for friends, family and communities.  We must learn valuable lessons from these children’s stories on how to reduce and prevent future child deaths,” Ms Vardon said. 

“The replacement database has enhanced functionality and captures quality information in a more structured way. It enables the delivery of public education campaigns, government policy and design programs to help reduce preventable child deaths.

“One of QFCC’s duties is to maintain a register of all child deaths in Queensland and to analyse and report on trends and patterns in child mortality over time. We do this to make sure the performance of the system of services designed to keep our children safe and well is actively monitored and any areas in which improvements can be made, are identified and addressed as soon as possible.”

Dan Cooke, Managing Director of Procensol, the company that designed and delivered the application, emphasised the pride the organisation has in being part of such an important project.

“We were honoured and humbled to be involved in the creation of the Register. The project helped keep children safer by improving the speed and accuracy at which key information is accessed and reported on, so of course, we are delighted with the outcome,” Mr Cooke said.

The data captured is made available at no cost to genuine researchers and is used by government agencies, state, and national advisory groups and by non-government agencies to deliver public education campaigns, develop policy and design programs.

ENDS

For media information contact:

Kirby Orr | Queensland Family and Child Commission
Phone: 0434 683 265
Email: kirby.orr@qfcc.qld.gov.au