The Senate Family and Children Services Committee heard an amendment to SB 128 authored by Sen. Head on change of placement of a child in need of services (CHINS). At last week’s meeting, DCS testified against the bill, explaining that typically the Child and Family Team Meeting involves all parties, including foster parents, and that is when there is an opportunity for their voice t … [Read more...] about Change of placement of a child in need of services
CHINS
Required DCS notification for schools
The Senate Committee on Family and Children Services heard SB 135 authored by Sens. Bohacek and Zay on required DCS notification for schools. The bill (1) requires a law enforcement agency that participates in a child abuse or neglect assessment (assessment) involving a child who attends kindergarten through grade 12 to provide information to the department of child services (DCS) if … [Read more...] about Required DCS notification for schools
Maximum number of foster children
The Senate Committee on Family and Children Services heard SB 184 authored by Sens. Zay and Ford on the maximum number of foster children. The bill increases from five to six the number of children who may be supervised in a foster family home. Sen. Zay explained that as recently as 2011 the limit was eight children per home, which was then lowered to five, but many experienced fo … [Read more...] about Maximum number of foster children
Plan for the permanent placement of a child
S.E.A. 49, P.L. 42 Effective: July 1, 2017 Requires that a permanency plan is filed simultaneously with a petition for termination of a parent-child relationship. The full law is available at: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2017/bills/senate/4 … [Read more...] about Plan for the permanent placement of a child
Child in need of services
H.E.A. 1342, P.L. 249 Effective: July 1, 2017 Removes a rebuttable presumption that a child is a child in need of services if a child is born with: (1) fetal alcohol syndrome; (2) neonatal abstinence syndrome; or (3) any amount of a controlled substance or legend drug in the child's body; and there is evidence that a child's mother used a controlled substance or legend drug during … [Read more...] about Child in need of services