Report on Child Fatality in Birmingham, Alabama, and Linkages to Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

A three-year-old child, Ketorrius Starks, died on July 22 after being left unattended in a vehicle in Birmingham, Alabama. The incident involved a third-party contractor for the Alabama Department of Human Resources. This report details the event, the official response, and analyzes the incident through the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting critical failures in public health, institutional accountability, and community safety.

Incident Details and Chronology

Case Overview

An investigation was initiated by the Birmingham Police Department following the death of a three-year-old boy. The key details of the incident are as follows:

• Victim: Ketorrius Starks, age 3.
• Date of Incident: July 22.
• Location: Birmingham, Alabama.
• Cause of Death: The child was pronounced dead at the scene after being found unresponsive inside a vehicle. The Jefferson County Coroner/Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the child was left in the vehicle for approximately five hours.

Timeline of Events

According to reports from the family’s legal counsel, the events leading to the fatality occurred in the following sequence:

1. The child was picked up from daycare by a state-contracted worker for a supervised visit with his father.
2. The visit concluded at approximately 11:30 a.m.
3. The contractor allegedly failed to return the child to daycare, instead running personal errands before returning home.
4. The child was left in the vehicle from approximately 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
5. The child was discovered unresponsive shortly after 5:30 p.m. and pronounced dead at 6:03 p.m.

Institutional Accountability and SDG 16

Failure of Child Protective Services

The incident highlights a significant lapse in institutional responsibility. The child was under the care of a provider contracted by the Alabama Department of Human Resources, the state’s child protective services agency. This event directly contravenes the objectives of SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, specifically Target 16.2, which aims to “end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.” The failure of a state-sanctioned caregiver to ensure the child’s safety points to a critical breakdown in the systems designed to protect vulnerable populations.

Official Response

• The Birmingham Police Department is conducting a death investigation.
• The contract worker involved has been terminated by the Alabama Department of Human Resources.
• The worker is reportedly cooperating with the police investigation.

The ongoing investigation and institutional response are crucial for upholding Target 16.6 of the SDGs, which calls for the development of “effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.”

Public Health and Environmental Context

Impact of Extreme Heat and Link to SDG 13

The National Weather Service reported a maximum temperature of 96 degrees Fahrenheit in Birmingham on the day of the incident. This environmental factor is a critical component of the tragedy and underscores the public health risks associated with rising global temperatures, a central concern of SDG 13: Climate Action. The increasing frequency of extreme heat events poses a direct threat to human well-being, particularly for vulnerable groups such as young children.

National Data on Vehicular Heatstroke Fatalities

This fatality is part of a broader, preventable public health crisis. Data from the organization Kids and Car Safety reveals a disturbing trend:

• Over 1,100 children have died in hot cars in the United States since 1990.
• Ketorrius Starks is reported to be at least the 16th child to die in a hot car in 2025.
• Approximately 88% of child victims are three years old or younger.
• In over half of these cases (55%), the child was unknowingly left by a caregiver.

These statistics represent a failure to achieve SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, particularly Target 3.2, which seeks to end preventable deaths of children under five years of age. Furthermore, ensuring safe environments for children is a core component of SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, which aims to make human settlements safe and resilient for all inhabitants.

Analysis of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article’s central theme is the preventable death of a three-year-old child, which is a direct health and well-being issue. It discusses child mortality, personal safety, and the health risks associated with extreme heat.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The incident occurred in a city (Birmingham), and the article touches upon community safety. The broader context of “record-breaking heat waves impacting millions” highlights a significant challenge for urban and community resilience, particularly in protecting vulnerable populations like children.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: The article explicitly links the child’s death to environmental conditions, noting “hot temperatures and humidity” and a maximum temperature of “96 degrees.” It frames the incident within the larger problem of “extreme heat” and “sweltering temperatures,” which are direct consequences of climate change, and mentions the need for tips on “surviving extreme heat.”
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: The case involves a failure of institutional responsibility. The child was in the care of a “third-party worker contracted by the Alabama Department of Human Resources,” the state’s child protective services agency. The subsequent police investigation and the termination of the worker relate to accountability and justice, which are core to this goal.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  • Target 3.2: End preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age. The death of the three-year-old boy is a clear example of a preventable child death, which this target aims to eliminate. The article notes that “Approximately 88% of children who die in hot cars are age 3 or younger.”
  • Target 3.d: Strengthen the capacity of all countries… for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks. The article highlights the work of “Kids and Car Safety,” an organization that “advocates for preventative measures,” and provides “Tips to prevent summer tragedy,” which directly aligns with strengthening capacity for risk reduction and management of a specific health risk (hyperthermia).

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  • Target 11.5: Significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected… by disasters… with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations. Extreme heat waves are a form of disaster. The article focuses on child deaths resulting from these conditions, highlighting the vulnerability of children. It mentions “record-breaking heat waves impacting millions,” indicating a large number of affected people.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The article discusses the danger of “extreme heat,” a climate-related hazard. The mention of “Tips on surviving extreme heat” and advocacy for “preventative measures” are examples of building adaptive capacity to these hazards.
  • Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning. The work of “Kids and Car Safety” and the article itself serve to raise public awareness about the lethal dangers of hot cars, a direct impact of rising temperatures. It notes that many deaths are accidental and happen to “loving, caring, and protective parents,” underscoring the need for widespread education.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  • Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children. The death of a child due to the negligence of a caregiver, particularly one acting on behalf of a state agency, represents an ultimate failure to protect a child from harm, which falls under the scope of this target.
  • Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. The incident reveals a failure in the system of a state institution, the “Alabama Department of Human Resources.” The fact that the “worker had been terminated” and a “death investigation” is being conducted by the police are actions related to institutional accountability.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Target 3.2 (End preventable child deaths)

  • Indicator: Number of child deaths in hot cars. The article provides specific data points that serve as direct indicators: “at least the 16th child to die in a hot car in 2025,” “41 child deaths in hot cars across the United States from May to November” in 2024, and “More than 1,100 children have died in hot cars nationwide since 1990.”

• Target 11.5 / 13.1 (Reduce deaths from disasters / Strengthen resilience)

  • Indicator: Number of deaths and injuries attributed to heat-related hazards. The article provides clear statistics: “41 child deaths,” “more than 1,100 children have died,” and “At least 7,500 other children have survived with injuries.” These figures measure the human cost of this specific heat-related hazard.

• Target 16.2 (End abuse and violence against children)

  • Indicator (Implied): Number of child deaths resulting from caregiver negligence. The article states that “the majority (55%) were unknowingly left by an otherwise loving, responsible parent or caregiver.” This statistic, while focused on the unintentional nature, is a measure of deaths resulting from a failure of caregiver protection.

• Target 13.3 (Improve education and awareness)

  • Indicator (Implied): Existence and reach of public awareness campaigns and advocacy groups. The article’s reference to “Kids and Car Safety,” which “tracks such deaths and advocates for preventative measures,” and its inclusion of links to articles like “Tips to prevent summer tragedy” imply that the activities of such organizations and media coverage are qualitative indicators of progress in awareness-raising.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: usatoday.com