Since Governor Mitch Daniels retroactively eliminated funding across the board for at risk children (families adopting special needs children – after the adoptions were completed) the politics wrecking the lives of at risk children have made the news in Indiana often;
IN: The politics of children and family services
Governing – October 09, 2012
Protecting kids and trying to preserve families isn’t only the hardest job in government, it’s by far the most politically dangerous. In resigning, Payne joins an ever-growing list of first-rate leaders in the human services field who were either fired or driven from office thanks to politics and a brutal and often purposefully ignorant press.
http://www.governing.com/topics/health-human-services/col-politics-children-family-services.html
IN: Indiana child services agency settles lawsuit involving toddler’s 2009 death in foster care
Daily Reporter – October 13, 2012
The Indiana Department of Child Services has settled its part of a lawsuit involving the death of a 16-month-old girl in foster care. The lawyer for the girl’s mother, Kelli Sprunger, told the South Bend Tribune that the agency has agreed to pay her $150,000 for its alleged role in the March 2009 death of her daughter, Alissa Guernsey.
http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/story/e45afb02ba1649adb9c7efd1ea10c7c2/IN–Foster-Care-Lawsuit
IN: Sex abuse awareness, treatment on the rise
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette – October 14, 2012
Local center reports seeing 40% more kids than in ’11. “We’ve definitely seen an increase from last year,” said Bobbi Golani, the center’s program director. “We’ve opened a second interview room in response to an increasing need. It’s busy.”
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20121014/LOCAL/310149945
IN: Money woes underscore child services troubles
Post-Tribune – September 30, 2012
Somewhere in the $2.2 billion Indiana has socked away in cash reserves is money that Tiffany Girard says was needed to help the three foster children she used to care for before quitting Indiana’s foster care system in frustration.
http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/15478081-418/money-woes-underscore-child-services-troubles.html
IN: Indiana Department Of Child Services director resigns
Indiana Public Media – September 24, 2012
Department of Child Services Director James Payne resigned from his post Monday in the wake of allegations of impropriety regarding the DCS and a case involving his own family. DCS Chief of Staff John Ryan is stepping in as director of the department effective immediately.
http://indianapublicmedia.org/news/indiana-department-child-services-director-resigns-36603/
IN: DCS director violated agency code of conduct, report says
South Bend Tribune – September 24, 2012
The director of the Indiana Department of Child Services likely violated his agency’s code of conduct through his involvement in a child neglect case involving his own grandchildren, a report Sunday said. Also: http://www.indystar.com/article/20120922/NEWS/209230308/1001/NEWS Also: http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120924/LOCAL/309249940/-1/LOCAL11
http://www.southbendtribune.com/news/sbt-dcs-director-violated-agency-code-of-conduct-report-says-20120924,0,7752965.story?track=rss
IN: Attorney General’s office will handle DCS appellate court cases
Indianapolis Star – September 13, 2012
Attorney General Greg Zoeller said he will reassume responsibility for Department of Child Services appellate court cases in the wake of a controversial attempt by DCS to block a newspaper from publishing information about a call to the agency’s child abuse hotline.
http://www.indystar.com/article/20120913/NEWS05/209130366/Greg-Zoeller-Attorney-General-s-office-will-handle-DCS-appellate-court-cases
IN: Pence issues familiar prescription to improve families
nwitimes.com – September 18, 2012
Pence said as governor he will promote adoption by eliminating income limits on private school vouchers for adopted children, host with his wife an annual summit examining the best ways to strengthen families, and improve the Department of Child Services through better coordination by state government, local governments and social service agencies.
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/pence-issues-familiar-prescription-to-improve-families/article_97adbb51-98b0-5eef-bba9-e6ea7b1a349d.html
IN: DCS statute irks prosecutors: Some say review teams usurp counties in child-death cases
The Journal Gazette – September 04, 2012
In August, the Indiana Department of Child Services asked county agencies and other groups to provide names of people possibly interested in serving on 18 newly created regional child fatality review teams.
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120902/LOCAL/309029916/1002/LOCAL
IN: Department of Child Services child abuse hotline criticized at legislative hearing
Indianapolis Star – September 05, 2012
The Department of Child Services’ child abuse hotline came under new criticism Wednesday from social workers, members of the public and some current and former hotline workers.
http://www.indystar.com/article/20120905/NEWS/120905037/DCS-child-abuse-hotline-criticized-legislative-hearing
IN: Indiana child abuse warnings not being made
Indy Star – August 29, 2012
The doctor asked “very direct specific questions about any child abuse,” according to hospital records obtained by The Indianapolis Star. But ultimately the doctor determined the family’s explanation was plausible.
http://www.indystar.com/article/20120829/NEWS/208300339/Star-Watch-Investigation-Child-abuse-warnings-not-being-made
IN: Violating child abuse reporting law rarely results in punishment
Indianapolis Star August 29, 2012
In Indiana, professionals such as doctors, teachers and counselors face requirements for reporting suspected child abuse and neglect that go above and beyond the law that applies to the general public. But few “professional” reporters — or any other Hoosiers, for that matter — ever face criminal charges for violating the state’s mandatory reporting law.
IN: EDITORIAL: State slow to start in looking at central child abuse hotline
Evansville Courier Press – August 28, 2012
An Indiana legislative investigation of the state’s Department of Child Services got off to a bumpy start Wednesday after officials concerned about the agency’s centralized child-abuse and neglect hotline learned it would not be discussed at the first meeting. According to The Associated Press, a group of sheriffs and judges had complained that a new system which sends all child abuse hotline calls through a central intake center in Indianapolis was experiencing difficulties, including poor response time.
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2012/aug/28/state-slow-to-start-in-looking-at-central-child/
IN: Overdue answers from DCS
Journal-Gazette – August 26, 2012
A public relations effort paints the work of Indiana’s child protection agency as among the best in the nation. But under the scrutiny of judges, child advocates, health officials and lawmakers familiar with their work, agency officials issued an almost apologetic response to troubling questions about their performance.
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120826/EDIT07/308269982/1147/EDIT07
IN: Youth expert teaches cultural sensitivity
News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Indiana) – August 27, 2012
Indiana Youth Group Education Outreach Coordinator Graham Brinklow believes that just as the practice of forbidding children to use their left hand to write or throw has mostly disappeared, the belief that sexual orientation is a choice will soon be gone
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120827/NEWS/120829661/-1/LIVING
KARA reports on the issues of invisible children
This article submitted by Former CASA Guardian Ad Litem Mike Tikkanen
