INDIANAPOLIS — In the wake of a high-profile lawsuit filed against the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS), several Indiana Democratic lawmakers have said more needs to be done to retain quality family case managers and keep vulnerable kids from harm.
In 2023, DCS staffing levels met 99% of the need statewide. However, that number has since fallen to 91% — a trend some lawmakers said should be cause for concern.
“With this upcoming legislative session, I think it is extremely important for the General Assembly to revisit this topic of how to empower and support DCS financially,” State Sen. Fady Qaddoura (D-Indianapolis) said. “As a caucus, we are constantly communicating with the agency to ensure that we’re offering the support from a policy perspective to best practices, and this discussion will continue.”…