Wayne Co. chief probation officer appointed to children’s commission
An eastern Indiana probation officer has been appointed to represent the juvenile probation system on the Indiana Commission on Improving the Status of Children.
Child welfare
Articles
Indiana Lawyer, IBJ Media earn top honors at 2020 Best of Indiana Journalism awards
Indiana Lawyer reporters and designers brought home 12 awards from the Indiana Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists’ annual Best of Indiana Journalism Contest, including four top honors. The awards were announced Monday in a virtual ceremony.
Web Exclusive: COA considering legislation limiting child sex abuse victim depositions
A one-year-old law is before the Indiana Court of Appeals, which is considering whether the Legislature properly placed restrictions on when defense attorneys can take a deposition of a minor child alleged to be a victim of a sex crime.
AGs urge Facebook to drop ‘Instagram for kids’ proposal
A bipartisan group of 44 attorneys general has written to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg urging him to drop company plans for a version of Instagram for children under the age of 13, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced Monday.
Father of drowned brothers pleads guilty to neglect charges
An Indiana man pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury in the drownings of his two sons.
Kids’ Voice formalizes $5.4 million CASA/GAL contract with Indianapolis
Kids’ Voice of Indiana has signed a contract with the city of Indianapolis to provide guardian ad litem and court appointed special advocate services to Marion Superior Courts through the end of 2023, with the nonprofit set to receive $5.4 million for the remainder of 2021.
Kids’ Voice taking over GAL/CASA services after Child Advocates walks
Kids’ Voice of Indiana will be the sole operator of the guardian ad litem and court appointed special advocate programs for Marion County juvenile courts after Child Advocates, which had provided those services for decades, rejected the subcontract agreement the two organizations had been negotiating.
Indiana woman reaches plea deal in baby’s meth-related death
An eastern Indiana woman whose three-month-old son died last year from methamphetamine intoxication has agreed to plead guilty to a neglect charge in the infant’s death.
Kids’ Voice hopes to finalize contract with Child Advocates this week
Kids’ Voice of Indiana and Child Advocates are close to inking a deal after the city of Indianapolis announced it would be switching providers of the Guardian Ad Litem and CASA services for the Marion County juvenile court May 1.
‘Landmark’ juvenile justice bill awaiting governor’s signature
Indiana’s juvenile justice bill, which will implement key reforms and enable the state to retain federal funding, is headed to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk after the Senate unanimously concurred on the amended legislation earlier this week.
GAL/CASA provider change causes anger, confusion
Two Indianapolis nonprofits that serve youngsters in the child welfare system, Child Advocates and Kids’ Voice of Indiana, have been at the center of an argument that many families have had: Who can better care for the youngest members?
House passes juvenile justice bill on strong bipartisan vote
Described as a “model of the nation,” an Indiana juvenile justice reform bill passed the Indiana House of Representatives with Democrats and Republicans all voting in support of the measure.
Kids’ Voice, Child Advocates in contract talks after report cited cost overruns
With just three weeks before its contract with the city of Indianapolis ends, Child Advocates is trying to negotiate a subcontract with Kids’ Voice so it can continue providing volunteers and staff to advocate for youngsters in Indiana’s child welfare system. Meanwhile, a report questioned longtime contractor Child Advocates’ cost overruns.
Child Advocates worried for young clients after losing Marion County CASA contract
Child Advocates is asking the city of Indianapolis to delay plans to switch CASA providers until the end of year, citing questions about the transition, the ability of Kids’ Voice to handle the work and concerns over the risk to children.
COA upholds judgment for teens’ doctors on parents’ constitutional claims
Tipton County parents who alleged their children were unconstitutionally treated by doctors while in a grandmother’s care failed to convince the Indiana Court of Appeals that summary judgment for the doctors was inappropriate.
Marion County switches CASA contract from Child Advocates to Kids’ Voice
Kids’ Voice of Indiana, a nonprofit serving children and families, will take over the training and operation of the court-appointed special advocate program in Marion County courts May 1 after the city of Indianapolis switched the contract for the services from Child Advocates.
Indiana asks SCOTUS to review mature-minors abortion law a second time
A case challenging an Indiana abortion law that requires “mature minors” to notify their parents before getting an abortion is back before the United States Supreme Court, with the state of Indiana asking the justices to take the case to provide clarity on a legal issue that it says caused the 7th Circuit to “(throw) up its hands in frustration.”
Mom loses appeal of denied relocation petition
A Dubois County mother who wanted to move with her child to New Mexico has lost her appeal of the denial of her relocation petition.
Justices: Juvenile convicted of attempted murder failed to show parent ‘essential’
When juvenile defendants are tried in adult court, parents who are also witnesses may be excluded from witness-separation orders if their children establish them as “essential” to the presentation of evidence, the Indiana Supreme Court has ruled. However, applying that holding to the facts of the case before them, justices concluded an Elkhart County teen failed to establish his mom was “essential” to his attempted murder defense.
Boy, 14, faces murder, molesting counts in girl’s death
A 14-year-old boy was charged with murder and child molestation Monday in the asphyxiation death of a 6-year-old girl in northern Indiana, prosecutors said.