SARATOGA COUNTY, N.Y. (WRGB) — In the wake of two high-profile child death cases in Saratoga County, District Attorney Brett Eby announced Tuesday the creation of the Saratoga County Child Safety Review Commission, an effort aimed at identifying gaps in the child protection system and developing recommendations to better protect vulnerable children.
The announcement follows the recent deaths of children in Mechanicville and Corinth that have prompted questions about whether warning signs were missed and whether earlier intervention could have prevented the tragedies.
“We need to get everybody in a room and make sure that it doesn’t happen again because there are cracks in the system,” Eby told CBS6’s Briana Supardi.
MORE: CBS6 coverage of Mechanicville tragedy
In Mechanicville, police suspect a grandmother killed four children before taking her own life. In Corinth, investigators say a 3-year-old died after prolonged neglect. The child’s parents were sentenced to up to four years in prison after pleading guilty to criminally negligent homicide.
Eby said those cases served as the catalyst for creating the commission.
“Those two recent tragedies really prompted me to say, ‘Enough is enough,’” he said.
The commission will bring together professionals from a wide range of disciplines, including law enforcement, Child Protective Services, health care, education and family court, to examine how child protection systems operate and identify opportunities for improvement.
MORE: CBS6 coverage of Joycelynn Dylewski tragedy
Its work will focus on reviewing systemic issues, improving collaboration between agencies and developing recommendations for local officials and state lawmakers.
When asked whether the commission was created in response to specific failures in either case, Eby said it is too early to draw conclusions.
“We’re still learning a lot. Obviously Mechanicville just happened last week, but I do want to take these two cases, learn as much as we can,” he said.
One issue Eby expects the commission to examine is whether New York’s sentencing guidelines for child abuse-related crimes should be strengthened.
“I think one thing that this group is going to examine and it’s going to make a recommendation is for stricter sentencing guidelines for child abusers,” Eby said.
This is in response to the sentences handed down against Samantha and Matthew Dylewski, the parents of 3-year-old Joycelynn, who died due to chronic neglect in February 2025 in Corinth. Both pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and were sentenced this month.
Samantha Dylewski was sentenced to 16 months to four years in prison.
Matthew Dylewski was also sentenced to 16 months to 4 years in prison.
Some felt the sentences were too light given the gravity of what happened.
When asked about the sentence imposed in the Corinth case, Eby noted that four years was the maximum penalty available under the charges.
“The public was rightly upset by that, but we got the maximum punishment possible,” he said.
The district attorney expects to announce the commission’s members by August. The office is currently accepting applications from professionals interested in serving.
Anyone interested in serving on the Commission is encouraged to submit a resume and any other relevant information to DA@saratogacountyny.gov.
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