The Senate Judiciary Committee heard SB 410 on termination of parent-child relationship authored by Sen. Bohacek. The bill as amended allows a kinship caregiver of a child to intervene as a party in proceedings to terminate the parent-child relationship concerning the child. The amendment removed a provision that a kinship caregiver who intervenes as a party in proceedings to terminate the parent-child relationship is entitled to counsel for purposes of the proceedings, and that the court shall appoint counsel for the kinship caregiver if the court finds that the kinship caregiver is indigent. The amendment also removed a provision that a judge who presided over child in need of services or delinquency proceedings with respect to a child may not be the judge who presides over proceedings to terminate the parent-child relationship with respect to the child.
A kinship caregiver who was caring for a child who was returned to his biological parents and then killed testified in favor of the bill. Judge Darrin Dolehanty, on behalf of the Indiana Judges Association, and Judge James Humphrey, on behalf of the Indiana Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, expressed numerous concerns about the original bill and remaining issues in the amendment. A representative from the Indiana Public Defender Council also expressed concerns.
The amended bill passed 11-0.
Read the bill at: http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2022/bills/senate/410