The ultimate purpose of child death review is to Keep Kids Alive. By understanding how and why children die, our communities can take action to prevent other similar deaths. Teams should make sure that every child death that could have been prevented makes a difference in the lives of other children. They should make sure that their recommendations are acted upon.

The key to good prevention is leadership at the local level. Review team members can provide this leadership by serving as catalysts for community action. Prevention efforts can range from simply changing one agency practice or policy or setting up a stop sign at a dangerous intersection to more complex interventions like intensive home visitation programs for high risk parents.

To assist with the development of these efforts, local, state, and national programs are available to teams. Such programs address specific prevention needs for the health, safety and well‑being of children and families. Available in both the public and private sectors, these programs can be sponsored by religious, community, professional and/or government organizations. Some are short‑term projects with temporary funding; others are established programs with documented results and proven track records.

Review teams should work with local community initiatives involved in child health, safety and protection. Some communities have child safety coalitions, prevention coalitions or active citizen advocacy groups. Connect your review team findings to these groups to ensure results. Also, assist these groups in accessing state and national resources in the prevention areas targeted by your community.

A short list of prevention categories includes: