Director: Indiana child services case managers leaving
The Indiana Department of Child Services is seeing a higher percentage of its family case managers leave the agency, its director told the DCS Oversight Committee.
Indiana Department of Child Services
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Federal jury rules against DCS, awards family $31.3 million
The family of a 14-year-old Pulaski County girl who died as a result of prescription error has been awarded $31.3 million in a judgment against state agents who wrongly removed the couple’s children from their home and prosecuted the parents for their daughter’s death.
Indiana seeks more foster parents because of growing need
The number of children in Indiana in foster care rose to 13,134 in June, up from 10,550 a year earlier, according to state records. The shortage of foster families is putting pressure on the pool of people who are licensed to foster and making it more difficult for caseworkers to find local placements.
Pence authorizes hiring 113 new DCS caseworkers
Governor Mike Pence Thursday announced the authorization of 113 additional Department of Child Services caseworkers to meet the demand caused by increased cases across the state. DCS will present its annual report to the State Budget Committee Friday.
Indiana Supreme Court weighs case on custody, mental illness
The Indiana Supreme Court is weighing an emotionally charged case in which a man lost custody of his daughter after spurning child-welfare officials’ suggestions that he leave his mentally ill wife based on their fears that she might harm the girl.
COA affirms cutting off mother’s communication with daughter
The court record is replete with evidence supporting a juvenile court’s decision that a teenage girl would be better off if communication and visits with her mother were terminated, the Indiana Court of Appeals held Wednesday. The girl, in foster care, often had detrimental visits with her mother.
Appeals panel affirms CHINS adjudication
Two children were properly adjudicated in need of services, the Indiana Court of Appeals concluded in affirming a trial court.
Lanane to Pence: properly staff DCS caseworkers
Indiana Senate Democratic Leader Tim Lanane said Monday that Gov. Mike Pence must add 77 new caseworkers at the Department of Child Services to comply with state law.
Child services agency exceeding caseload standard
Leaders of Indiana's Department of Child Services say it isn't meeting state-mandated caseload standards but aren't asking for money to hire more child welfare workers.
Indiana rejects fired DCS workers’ appeals
A state agency has rejected the appeals of two former Indiana child-welfare workers fired following the death of a paralyzed young woman.
Child services investigators claim unpaid overtime
Two Indiana Department of Child Services investigators say in a lawsuit that they've had to work extensive overtime without receiving required overtime pay.
DCS settles adoption subsidy lawsuit
Families who sued the Department of Child Services will receive $15.1 million in state foster child adoption subsidies withheld from 2009 to 2014, DCS announced Thursday.
DCS struggles to keep accurate caseload tally
Indiana has hired more case workers to keep track of its most vulnerable residents, but complaints about overwork continue to surface as the state battles turnover and questions the accuracy of data on caseloads.
DCS to fund state subsidies for adoptions from foster care
The Department of Child Services will fund state subsidies for children adopted from foster care for the fiscal year that began July 1. The announcement comes after a lawsuit claimed the state reneged on promises to provide the assistance to about 1,400 eligible families since 2009.
Court affirms termination of parental rights without case plan
Morgan County parents, including a father who dealt meth to a confidential informant while his wife and three minor children were present, lost an appeal of their termination of parental rights Tuesday.
Firm says DCS misled parents on foster adoption subsidies
The Indiana Department of Child Services misled parents adopting foster children by falsely claiming the agency lacked resources to provide subsidies while it returned hundreds of millions of dollars to the state, according to the Indianapolis law firm pursuing a class-action suit against DCS.
Advocates: Suit over unpaid subsidies emblematic of DCS’ shortcomings
Adoptive families who’ve sued the state and likened the Department of Child Services to deadbeat parents for failing to pay promised subsidies to people who adopt foster children aren’t alone in feeling slighted, child and adoption advocates say.
Adoptive parent likens DCS to deadbeat parents
A woman who adopted three special-needs foster children said Monday the state’s failure to provided promised adoption subsidies made the Department of Child Services “basically deadbeat parents.”
Can parents sue DCS? Yes, divided justices rule
A sharply divided Indiana Supreme Court decision that a family may sue the state’s child protection agency for negligence is sure to resonate within the Department of Child Services, attorneys familiar with the case said.
Divided Supreme Court reinstates claim DCS mishandled abuse case
Claims that the Department of Child Services was negligent in its handling of child-molestation allegations were reinstated Tuesday, when a divided Indiana Supreme Court in a 3-2 opinion reversed in part a trial court grant of summary judgment.