A man convicted of harassing his Department of Child Services case manager to the point that she quit her job and moved to another county lost an appeal of his conviction Thursday, failing to convince the appellate court that the offense didn’t occur in Indiana.
Saying it was “troubled” by how the Department of Child Services chose to litigate two nearly back-to-back child welfare cases, the Indiana Court of Appeals has ordered a trial court to re-evaluate a 2018 CHINS petition without relying on facts that were available for litigation during a 2017 CHINS proceeding.
In response to a lawsuit seeking to require the state appoint attorneys to represent children in termination of parental rights or children in need of services proceedings, Indiana is arguing that adding more lawyers would only flatter the legal professionals and not mollify tragic circumstances.
A child in need of services case has been dismissed after an appellate panel concluded that a mother’s motion to dismiss because the fact-finding hearing was not completed within the statutory timeframe was incorrectly denied by the trial court.
As Senate Enrolled Act 1 was heading for its third and final reading in the Indiana House of Representatives, Rep. Vanessa Summers reminded her colleagues that their work in helping reform the Department of Child Services is not finished.
The Indiana General Assembly has approved the state’s $34.6 billion budget for the next two years, sending it to Gov. Eric Holcomb for his signature days ahead of the legislative deadline.
An Indianapolis woman has been sentenced to seven years in prison for the 2017 starvation death of her 2-month-old daughter.
The Indiana Senate approved its two-year, $34.6 billion state budget proposal Tuesday morning, setting up final budget negotiations between both chambers as lawmakers close out the last two weeks of this year’s General Assembly.
The Indiana Court of Appeals admitted it made an erroneous statement in reversing a termination of parental rights order and granted the Department of Child Services’ request for a rehearing. But the appellate panel Wednesday affirmed its initial opinion, concluding the error had no bearing its original ruling that a mother’s due process rights were violated.
Indiana, which places a greater percentage of its children in the foster care system than almost any other state, must take steps to close educational shortcomings for children in the system, according to a first-of-its-kind report released recently that details a wide achievement gap.
The Indiana Senate has unanimously approved a bill that would ban the release of details in child neglect or abuse deaths to safeguard criminal cases.
While the effort to give foster parents standing in cases involving abused and neglected children has stalled in the Statehouse, numerous child welfare and Department of Child Services reforms appear poised to pass the Indiana General Assembly.
Parents arguing the termination of their parental rights was not in the best interest of their minor child lost their argument when the Indiana Court of Appeals found their ongoing substance abuse issues had not improved over time.
The Indiana House on Monday passed a $34.6 billion two-year budget along party lines. The budget includes an increase of more than $550 million over two years for the Indiana Department of Child Services.
A Marion County father has lost his appeal of the termination of his parental rights after the Indiana Court of Appeals determined the termination was not clearly erroneous.
A mother won her appeal to reverse an erroneous order terminating her parental rights when the Indiana Court of Appeals found the Department of Child Services committed ‘significant procedural irregularities’ in her case.
The Indiana Court of Appeals reversed the adjudication of a baby found to be a child in need of services after finding that the Department of Child Services failed to prove the parents’ mental health issues seriously endangered the baby.
Legislators in 2018 introduced a slew of bills trying to bring more collaboration and modest adjustments to the Department of Child Services. Lawmakers this year have introduced at least 25 bills impacting CHINS, foster parents and DCS caseloads, among other things.
A newly created general counsel position has been announced in the office of Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill. The shift in leadership positions also includes the reassignment of former Department of Child Services Director Mary Beth Bonaventura as Hill’s chief of staff.
Indiana lawmakers are set to begin their four-month legislative session, facing a tight state budget picture and a possibly contentious debate over adopting a state hate crimes law.