January 11, 2012
IL StaffThe Indiana Department of Child Services has won one of four Casey Family Programs “Excellence in Leadership”
awards for 2011. The award is given to those involved in child welfare who work to improve the lives of children and families.
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December 14, 2011
Cory SchoutenA grand jury in South Bend has returned a 14-count criminal indictment against two attorneys and a real estate broker from
central Indiana over a state lease deal in Elkhart.
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December 14, 2011
Jennifer NelsonIn a case filled with several errors and discrepancies, the Indiana Court of Appeals has reversed the termination of parental
rights of a mother and two fathers because the Department of Child Services failed to meet the burden of proving that termination
is in the best interest of the children.
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November 11, 2011
IL StaffThe Indiana Department of Child Services announced Thursday it has received word from Region V of the Administration of Child
and Families, an affiliate of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, that it has satisfactorily finalized its Program
Improvement Plan.
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November 4, 2011
Michael HoskinsThe Indiana Supreme Court has denied a rehearing petition from the state attorney general’s office to revisit a June
ruling that upheld three statutes involving juvenile judges’ authority on out-of-state placements.
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October 11, 2011
Michael HoskinsScolding the Indiana Department of Child Services for how it handled a parental termination case, the Indiana Supreme Court
has found an incarcerated mother’s due process rights were not violated when she did not receive adequate notice about
pending proceedings that would affect her rights as a parent or when she was not allowed to attend the hearings.
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October 6, 2011
IL StaffThanks to a partnership between Marengo Cave and the Indiana Department of Child Services, foster parents and their foster,
biological and stepchildren will be able to get in to Marengo Cave’s guided walking tours for free.
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September 28, 2011
Michael HoskinsThe Indiana Court of Appeals disagrees with the state Department of Child Services that fact-finding and dispositional hearings
in a child in need of services case are interchangeable. The appellate panel has ruled a Marion County father’s due
process rights were denied because he didn’t receive the opportunity for a fact-finding hearing.
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September 14, 2011
Jenny MontgomeryThe state sees improvement, but aims to do better.
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August 31, 2011
Jenny MontgomeryLeslie Dunn, Indiana state director for GAL/CASA, said the number of Child in Need of Services cases over time remains stable,
but she’s seen some remarkable variations in cases per-county from year to year. In Vanderburgh County, for example,
new CHINS cases jumped from 448 in 2008 to 818 in 2010. People who are watching these numbers with concern cite several possible
reasons for these variations.
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August 19, 2011
Following a lawsuit filed by foster parents after the Indiana Department of Child Services announced in 2009 that it was going
to decrease the foster care per diem by 10 percent, the department announced Friday that it has come up with new reimbursement
rates beginning Jan. 1, 2012.
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August 17, 2011
Jenny MontgomerySouthern Indiana counties struggle with increase in child abuse cases.
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August 17, 2011
Michael HoskinsIndiana’s casinos have blocked payouts to hundreds of state gamblers who are behind on their child support payments
during the past year.
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August 10, 2011
IL StaffAs a part of the series of events the Indiana Department of Child Services is holding to show appreciation for foster families,
a Foster Families Night will be held Aug. 13 at the Gary SouthShore RailCats game.
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August 4, 2011
Michael HoskinsAn Indiana Supreme Court decision upholding three statutes relating to juvenile judges’ authority on out-of-state placement
cases created what the state attorney general’s office calls too much confusion, and the justices should revisit the
ruling it made a little more than a month ago.
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July 18, 2011
IL StaffThe Indiana Department of Child Services is teaming up with the Indianapolis Colts and The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
for an event for Indiana foster families July 20. Licensed foster families will receive free admission and will be able to
visit with the Colts’ mascot and get autographs from Colts cheerleaders.
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June 29, 2011
Michael HoskinsIn a much-anticipated ruling, the Indiana Supreme Court has ruled three statutes relating to juvenile judges’ authority
on out-of-state placement cases are constitutional and that the Department of Child Services has statutory power to consider
costs when considering those placements.
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May 6, 2011
Jenny MontgomeryThe Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled that that a closed hearing on a juvenile proceeding was admissible as evidence in the
perjury trial of an Indiana Department of Child Services caseworker.
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March 16, 2011
Rebecca BerfangerHaving volunteers and staff who can relate to families that interact with Court Appointed Special Advocates programs has proven
invaluable to a number of county-level CASA programs in Indiana. Indianapolis-based Child Advocates Inc. received the National
CASA Inclusion Award for its inclusion and diversity plan March 20 at the National CASA conference in Chicago.
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February 18, 2011
Jennifer NelsonThe Indiana Department of Child Services and IARCCA, an Association of Children and Family Services, announced their agreement
today in a dispute regarding reimbursement rate cuts. The dispute led to a lawsuit filed in late 2009 between the two organizations.
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December 8, 2010
Michael HoskinsThe Indiana Department of Child Services has agreed not to cut subsidies for foster and adoptive parents and other caregivers
as part of a class-action settlement in federal court.
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November 24, 2010
Rebecca BerfangerFor foster youth who are about to age out of the system or have already done so, there often is no support system. That decreases
one’s chance of getting a good education and increases the likelihood that the former foster youth will end up homeless
or become involved in illegal activity and be arrested after aging out.
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June 23, 2010
IL StaffThe Indiana Supreme Court has dismissed a transfer petition filed by the Indiana Department of Child Services because the
Indiana Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the DCS.
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March 31, 2010
Michael HoskinsIn addressing a statutory inconsistency on parental rights terminations, the Indiana Court of Appeals has held that trial
judges must offer findings of fact in those types of cases just as they're required to by law for children in need of
services cases and grandparent visitation matters.
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March 17, 2010
IL StaffThe Department of Child Services wants a federal judge to stay the preliminary injunction preventing it from cut ting reimbursement
rates, arguing the results of the injunction will be detrimental to children receiving services.
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Jack, I was only responding to bill's comment of tying everybody in government together. I agree with you though, it takes one bad apple to ruin the bunch.. As in any profession. What's truly unfair is when somebody violates someone's trust and takes complete advantage of someone
John’s comment is unfair. The majority of attorneys can be trusted. Unfortunately, all it takes is one greedy, unscrupulous, immoral attorney to jade the public.
In regards to bill's comment about trusting the cover meant. We can trust them about as much as we can trust attorneys'.
This is disturbing to learn...
Yikes!