Mortality in a child welfare population: implications for policy.

The mortality rate in a one-year cohort of children with child welfare status in Alberta, Canada, was found to be significantly elevated. Specifically, neglected and abused children were apt to have died violently, while handicapped children were more likely to have died because of disease or infirmity. The proportion of children dying while in care did not differ from the proportion who died after leaving care. Death rates were elevated only for age-categories surrounding the point (18 years) at which child welfare support was withdrawn.