Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?

The fatality report states: "the King County Medical Examiner's office notified DCYF that M.K. had methamphetamine and fentanyl in [their] system at the time of [their] death." Additionally, "Law enforcement found heroin and fentanyl on the counter in the kitchen as well as drug paraphernalia within reach of M.K." This indicates drug exposure/ingestion by the child.

Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?

The fatality report states that prior intakes included "concerns for lack of supervision." At the time of M.K.'s death, "Law enforcement found heroin and fentanyl on the counter in the kitchen as well as drug paraphernalia within reach of M.K. and [the] five-year-old sibling," indicating that dangerous substances were left accessible to the children under parental supervision.

Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?

The fatality report states regarding a 2022 intake that a relative reported "the parents are not adequately feeding the child." This allegation pertains to M.K.'s older sibling and predates M.K.'s birth. It is part of the family's case history reviewed in this report but does not directly pertain to M.K.

Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?

The fatality report states that in October 2022 "an intake screened in for a FAR assessment. This intake alleged parental substance use and identified that the mother was pregnant." M.K. was born in January 2023, meaning the mother was pregnant with M.K. at the time substance use was alleged. The parents had previously tested positive for methamphetamine, morphine, codeine, and heroin, and continued using substances. While no explicit diagnosis of prenatal substance exposure (e.g., NAS) is documented, the timeline strongly implies M.K. was exposed to substances prenatally.

Was a biological father involved in the death?

The fatality report states: "Both M.K.'s mother and father were found to be negligent as to both M.K. and [the sibling]. The parents received founded findings of negligence from DCYF." The father is identified as a biological parent whose negligence contributed to M.K.'s death.

Was a biological mother involved in the death?

The fatality report states: "Both M.K.'s mother and father were found to be negligent as to both M.K. and [the sibling]. The parents received founded findings of negligence from DCYF." The mother is identified as a biological parent whose negligence contributed to M.K.'s death.

Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?

The fatality report explicitly states: "Prior to M.K.'s death, DCYF received eight intakes regarding [the] family. Of the eight intakes, five screened in for CPS investigations and the three others did not screen in. The allegations in the screened in intakes included concerns for lack of supervision and parental substance use." The family first came to DCYF attention in 2021.

Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?

The fatality report states: "The caller, a relative, reported domestic violence (DV) occurred a year earlier when the father threw the mother into something (unknown what she hit)." The report also discusses DV assessment policy and notes that "the caseworker in 2022 gathered law enforcement records and there was some information gathered at different times throughout the case pertaining to domestic violence."

Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?

The fatality report states that the June 2023 caller reported "that mother was diagnosed with an [redacted] and that the father was diagnosed with [redacted]." It also notes: "Both parents were receiving mental health care through the same provider as their substance use treatment." While the specific diagnoses are redacted, the text explicitly references parental mental health treatment and diagnoses.

Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?

Substance use by the parents/caregivers is extensively documented throughout the fatality report. Key passages include: "both tested positive for methamphetamine, morphine, codeine, and heroin"; "the parents and their two children...were removed from a shelter facility due to fentanyl use. The parents were smoking fentanyl in the room with their children present"; "The parents continued to attend substance use treatment but also continued to have positive tests for substances including, but not always limited to fentanyl."

The fatality report contains extensive discussion of systemic issues. The Committee discussed the impact of HB 1227 (Keeping Families Together Act) and SB 6109 on DCYF's ability to intervene when fentanyl or high potency synthetic opioids are being used by caregivers. The report notes that DCYF "did not believe it had sufficient grounds to file a dependency petition" despite parents' ongoing fentanyl use and positive drug tests, because the parents were willing to engage in voluntary services and there was no "probable cause to believe that the child was in imminent physical harm." The Committee identified that FVS caseload caps of 20 families per caseworker were "not manageable" for high-risk cases. The Committee also raised concern about "likability bias," noting that "multiple caseworkers in the last two years identified that the mother specifically was engaging and likeable" and this "may have contributed to less curiosity or less work to confirm information she provided." Additionally, rural provider shortages in eastern Washington were identified, with only one type of service provider available who had to drive 90+ minutes and could serve only two families at a time.