The New Jersey Child Fatality and Near Fatality Review Board (Board) resides within the department but is independent of the department. It was established by the New Jersey Comprehensive Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CCAPTA). The Board reviews child fatalities and near fatalities to identify their causes, relationship to governmental support systems, and methods of prevention.
The Board is multi-disciplinary and membership consists of ex-officio members and six public members with expertise or experience in child abuse appointed by the Governor. Four Regional Community-Based Review Teams operate under the aegis of the Board and its composition mirrors that of the Board. The Board also functions as a citizen review panel and conducts monthly meetings that are by invitation only.
Dr. Laura Brennan, M.D.
Chair
Pediatrics Center for Children Support School of Osteopathic Medicine
Dr. Elayne Weitz, Ph.D.
Co-chair
Psychologist
Lea DeGuilo
Assistant Section Chief- DCF North
Kathleen Lyons-Boswick, Esq. BSN, RN (ret)
Supervising Assistant Prosecutor
Essex County Prosecutor’s Office
Robyne Jiles, MSW
Assistant Director of DCP&P Central Operations
Division of Child Protection and Permanency
Department of Children and Families
Brian Ross
Assistant Commissioner for Legal and Regulatory Affairs
Division of Child Protection and Permanency
Department of Children and Families
Alex X Zhang, MD
Acting Chief State Medical Examiner
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
Bethany D’Amelio
Executive Coordinator
New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect
Department of Children and Families
Adam Brozek
Detective Sergeant First Class
New Jersey State Police
Major Crime North Unit
Jennifer A. Pax, PhD, JD, MSW, LCSW
New Jersey City University
Nichole Lane
Deputy Public Defender
Office of Law Guardian
Nancy Scotto-Rosato
Department of Health and Senior Services
Lenore Scott, LSW
Assistant Division Director
Office of Early Childhood Services
NJ Dept. of Children & Families
Susan Fiorilla, MSW
Supervising Family Service Specialist I
Division of Child Protection & Permanency
Burlington West Local Office
Genevieve Lalanne-Raymond
Lead Maternal and Child Health Epidemiologist
NJ Department of Health
Katie Magee – Lee
Prosecutor
Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office
Alissa K. Sandler, MSW, LCSW
Manager, Pediatric Social Work
Hackensack Meridian Children's Health at Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital
Nichole Lane
Deputy Public Defender
Office of Law Guardian
Frederick J. DiCarlo, MD, PhD
Deputy Medical Examiner
Morris Tri-County Medical Examiner’s Office
Kimberly DeNick, MD
Advocare Pediatrics
Matthew Maguire
EMS Medical Direction Coordinator
Cooper University Health Care
Andrew L. Falzon, MD
State Medical Examiner
Office of the State Medical Examiner
Mary F Beirne, MS, EdD, M.D., DFAPA
Dept of Children and Families, Rutgers
Melinda P. Carnassale
Deputy Director
Children’s System of Care
NJ Dept of Children & Families
Jennie Blakney, M.A., Ed
Child and Adolescent Health Program Manager
New Jersey Department of Health
Michelle Scott, Ph.D., M.S.W.
Professor, School of Social Work
Director, SRF Suicide Prevention Research and Training Project
Monmouth University
Suzy Azevedo
Principal
Edgar Middle School
Maureen A. Brogan, LPC, ACS, DAAETS
Program Director
Rutgers Health, Traumatic Loss Coalition
Iris Moore
Camden North Local Office Manager
Child Protection and Permanency
Marisol Garces
MSW, LSW
Local Office Manager
DCF- Division of Child Protection and Permanency
Susan M. L. Paredes
Teacher, School Administrator
Metuchen Public Schools
Jennifer Romalin, RN, MSN, APN
Chair
Hackensack University Medical Center – AHCH
Jeffrey Conrad
Prosecutor
Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office
Christopher Schellhorn
Chief Assistant Prosecutor (Tactical Division)
Morris County Prosecutor’s Office
Javier M. Toro
Captain of Detectives
Special Victims Unit
Office of the Hudson County Prosecutor
Wendy Crossan Ricci, Esq.
Staff Attorney, Office of the Law Guardian
Asst. Deputy Public Defender
Sandra Parente
Department of Child Protection and Permanency
County Service Specialist for the DCPP Bergen and Hudson Area Office
Karen Eigen, MD, MPH
Attending Physician, Pediatric Emergency Department
Hackensack Medical Center
Assistant Professor, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
Di Wang, MD, PhD. MA
American board certified Pathologist and board certified Forensic Pathologist
Morris Tri-County Medical Examiner
Gladibel Medina, MD, CAP
Chair
Medical Director, DBH CPC
Dr. Francesco Pontoriero, DO
Pediatric Forensic Pathologist
Assistant Medical Examiner
Middlesex Regional Medical Examiner’s Office
Laura Badilla, MSW
Department of Child Protection and Permanency
H/M/S/W Area Office
Laura Johnson, PhD, MSW
Temple University
Patricia Soffer, Esq.
Assistant Deputy Public Defender – Law Guardian attorney
Office of Law Guardian
Kari A. Mastro, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Director of Practice, Innovation and Research at Penn Medicine
Faculty at the University of Pennsylvania
Penn Medicine Princeton Health
Porsha Moody, MPA
Program Manager/State Coordinator for Child Passenger Safety (CPS) & Safe Kids New Jersey
Dr. Laura Brennan, M.D.
Chair
Pediatrics
Center for Children Support School of Osteopathic Medicine
Ian Hood, MB, ChB, JD
Medical Examiner
Burlington County
Kristin Nanette Briggs, Esq.
Assistant Deputy Public Defender
Office of the Law Guardian
Southeast Region
Jacqueline Forss
Case Practice Liaison
Cumberland/Gloucester/Salem Area
Division of Child Protection and Permanency
Department of Children and Families
Jill Ditalia – Clark
Casework Supervisor
Camden North
Division of Child Protection and Permanency
Department of Children and Families
Frank Sabella, M.S.
Detective Sergeant
Cumberland Co. Prosecutor's Office
John H. Flammer
Chief Counsel to the Prosecutor
Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office
Sergeant Chad Meyers
Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office
Special Victims Unit
The New Jersey Child Fatality and Near Fatality Review Board (Board) resides within the department but is independent of the department. It was established by the New Jersey Comprehensive Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CCAPTA). The Board reviews child fatalities and near fatalities to identify their causes, relationship to governmental support systems, and methods of prevention.
The Board is multi-disciplinary and membership consists of ex-officio members and six public members with expertise or experience in child abuse appointed by the Governor. Four Regional Community-Based Review Teams operate under the aegis of the Board and its composition mirrors that of the Board. The Board also functions as a citizen review panel and conducts monthly meetings that are by invitation only.
Five Year Case Review of 2016 to 2020 Data - Posted June, 2025
Annual Case Review of 2019 Data - Posted on May, 2024
Annual Case Review of 2018 Data - Posted on April, 2023
Annual Case Review of 2017 Data - Posted on January, 2021
Annual Case Review of 2016 Data - Posted on December, 2018
Annual Case Review of 2015 Data - Posted October, 2017
Annual Case Review of 2014 Data - Posted October, 2016
Annual Case Review of 2013 Data - Posted December 2015
Annual Case Review of 2012 Data - Posted October, 2015
Annual Case Review of 2011 Data - Posted November, 2014
Annual Case Review of 2010 Data - Posted February, 2013
Annual Case Review of 2009 Data - Posted September, 2011
Annual Case Review of 2008 Data - Posted December, 2010
Annual Case Review of 2007 Data - Posted 08/24/2009
Annual Case Review of 2006 Data - Posted 06/30/2008
Annual Case Review of 2005 Data - Posted 06/30/2007
Official Site of The State of New Jersey