A total of 11 DCYF-reviewable critical incidents were reported in the second quarter of 2026.
The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) has released its latest critical incident data, which shows a continued decline in the number of child fatalities and near fatalities compared to the previous year.
Quarter 2 (April-June 2026) Critical Incidents:
- 6 Fatalities
- 5 Near fatalities
The 11 critical incidents in Quarter 2 (Q2) 2026 is a 21% decrease from the 14 in Q2 2025.
This quarter’s DCYF-reviewable critical incidents included cases that involved opioid use, safe sleep, and drowning. The number of cases that involved fentanyl decreased from 6 in Q2 2025 to 4 in Q2 2026. This decrease aligns with current DOH data that shows a decrease in opioid-related overdoses over the last several quarters.
DCYF is required by law to review child fatalities and near fatalities that involved maltreatment and had child welfare involvement in the previous 12 months.
Q1 2026 data showed a 63% decrease from the year prior. So far, 2026 has seen 18 critical incidents. There was a total of 57 critical incidents in 2025.
To address the increase in critical incidents that occurred in 2025, DCYF made several practice and services updates. Of note, starting in June 2025, child welfare staff are required to conduct safe child consults for all children 3 and under when High Potency Synthetic Opioids (HPSO) are involved before a case can be closed. In 2025, 3,360* Safe Child Consults were completed, 39% of those involved HPSOs.
The passage of Senate Bill 6109 in 2023, which directed courts to “give great weight to the lethality of high-potency synthetic opioids” when determining whether removals are necessary may also be contributing to the decrease.
To learn more about DCYF-reviewable critical incidents, visit Child Welfare | Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families.
*A previous version of this article incorrectly stated 23,360 Safe Child Consults; it was in fact 3,360.
