Twenty-five children died last year while in State care, in aftercare or while known to the protection services.
It is an increase of four on 2015, with a rise in the number of young people who died in accidents.
The report from the National Review Panel found ten of the 25 children who died in 2016 died of natural causes.
The NRP was set up in 2010 as part of the Implementation Plan associated with the Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse to review deaths and serious incidents of children in care.
Five died by suicide including a 12-year-old. The other children were aged between 15 and 17.
Three children were killed in road crashes, two died from drug overdoses and one died by homicide.
Four deaths were described as "other accident".
Of those who died, 15 were boys and ten were girls.
The report says one of the children was in the care of the State at the time of death.
Another young person who died was aged over 18 and under 21 and had been in care up to their 18th birthday.
Twenty-three others were categorised as "known to the child protection service".
During 2016 the panel also examined the deaths of two infants and a young child and a young person.
The review found they died from natural causes including congenital diseases, physical disabilities and terminal cancer.
One of the children and the young person had spent periods in care.
The NRP was set up in 2010 as part of the Implementation Plan associated with the Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse to review deaths and serious incidents of children in care.
A second overview report concerned the deaths of five young people between 14 and 21 years, three of whom had spent periods in care.
The cause of death in four cases was suicide and in the fifth case the post mortem indicated that death was caused by a drug overdose.
The reports showed evidence of some very good practice, for example, a high standard of aftercare provision, creativity used in planning placements and continuity of social work service.
However, the review found that assessment practice still needs to be improved and placing children with complex needs in foster care continues to be a challenge.
It found turnover of staff also causes difficulties.
Among the panel's recommendations, the need to recruit and train foster carers who are sufficiently skilled to care for very ill children with complex needs.
It also recommended that the child and family agency, Tusla, press for a resolution of the scarcity of accommodation for young people with a diagnosed mental illness who are in aftercare and require semi sheltered situations.
The panel says consideration should be given at a national level for developing an appropriate response to young people at risk from their own behaviour, possibly through the Meitheal programme.
The Chief Executive of Tusla has said steps are being taken to address the issues raised in the reviews.
Jim Gibson said the key learning from the reports published today is that good individual supports are not enough without a coordinated, multi agency approach.
Mr Gibson said Tusla has developed a new Child Protection and Welfare Strategy which will be launched later this month.
He said this year Tusla and the HSE published a joint working protocol to support good collaboration and working relationships between the agencies to promote the best interest of children, families and vulnerable adults.
Mr Gibson also said training has been provided to staff across the agency on suicide prevention.
