Dominique Moody

A WBTV investigation into the death of 6-year-old Dominique Moody led to a new state law. The investigation revealed systemic failures in child welfare, including over 50 police calls to Dominique’s home and questions about why mandated reporters did not intervene despite alleged severe abuse.

The Dominique Moody Safety Act, aimed at improving child welfare oversight, passed both chambers of North Carolina's General Assembly as part of a budget vote. The legislation follows the December 2025 death of 6-year-old Dominique Moody, whose case revealed thirteen prior child protective services reports and failures to remove her from harmful home conditions.

The North Carolina House of Representatives passed a bill to strengthen child welfare laws, creating a Child Care Escalation Team to address severe cases. The legislation, named the Dominique Moody Act, follows the death of 6-year-old Dominique Moody, who was found with severe injuries, and three women are charged with her murder.

The North Carolina House passed the 'Dominique Moody Safety Act' to establish a state-run child welfare escalation team under the Department of Health and Human Services. The bill requires counties to escalate cases involving children with extensive abuse or neglect reports to the regional team, which will override local decisions if needed. The legislation follows the 2025 death of 6-year-old Dominique Moody, who was allegedly beaten, tortured, and starved despite multiple calls to social services.

Six-year-old Dominique Moody died in December 2025 after years of abuse and starvation in Charlotte, with her legal guardian and caregivers charged with abuse and murder. North Carolina lawmakers criticized Mecklenburg County's child welfare system for 13 reported abuse cases and systemic failures, including a caseworker's recommendation to remove her being overruled. A review of 58 cases found widespread issues, including insufficient intake questioning and failure to notify law enforcement in abuse cases.