Suffolk CPS fixes must go further

The troubling number of child deaths investigated by Suffolk County's Child Protective Services in recent years illustrates that there's still much to do to improve how we care for young children.

In the years following the tragic 2020 death of 8-year-old Thomas Valva, who froze in his father and stepmother's garage, Suffolk officials have taken important steps toward improving CPS, including adding staff, improving training and establishing a "blind removal process" to allow for unbiased decisions in removing a child from a home.

It took too long, but the state finally has approved a Child Fatality Review Team for Suffolk to investigate unexplained deaths. Its work can identify systemic failures and recommend policy changes. Clearly CPS fixes must go further.

That starts with staffing. It's telling that CPS cited "a high number of less experienced staff" in its responses to the state's examination of the county's shortcomings, as a recent Newsday news story reported. It's not surprising that the agency would have less experienced staff since it has been steadily hiring new workers. This is not an easy nor a well-paid job, making recruitment and retention difficult. But ramped-up training, mentorships between veteran employees and newcomers, and more extensive supervision can help prevent errors and failures.

Especially concerning: The fatalities that occur even after prior complaints were filed. When there's a history of problems, a case should be expedited to more experienced staffers to take a closer look. We must prevent tragedies like that of 9-year-old Eli Henrys, who was killed after his mother, Kerri Bedrick, allegedly drove the wrong way while high. CPS had dismissed multiple prior complaints about Bedrick.

The arraignments Wednesday of three family members in the death of 7-year-old Jor'Dynn Duncan of Bayport is only the latest reminder that CPS must do better.

CPS can't prevent every incident. The data indicates that most fatalities occurred either when an infant was sleeping with a family member or when a child was left unsupervised in a pool. Both are ongoing areas of concern that Suffolk and others have worked to address. Public education campaigns for parents and caregivers remain paramount. So far in 2026, six children have died from suffocation due to a parent rollover.

Spotlighting safe sleep practices from the moment a new mom gives birth is key. Parents must remember that sleeping with their babies, however loving and nurturing it seems, is dangerous. Infants must sleep on their own, on their backs. It's too easy for a parent to roll over unintentionally, or for a baby to be wedged against a wall. These accidents are just that — horrific accidents — but they are preventable.

As the summer approaches, let's not forget drowning incidents. Adult supervision and appropriate safety precautions are critical when children are near a pool. A report released last year indicated that 70% of fatal drownings in swimming pools statewide in 2024 happened in Suffolk.

The work of protecting children isn't simple or easy. But we must do more to keep our children safe.