By State Sen. Mark Messmer (R-Jasper)
The Indiana General Assembly has worked hard this legislative session to prioritize the needs of Hoosier children.
This past Summer, Tammy Lampert, the director of the Southwestern Indiana Child Advocacy Center, informed me of the need to improve communication gaps between the state's child advocacy agencies.
That’s why I sponsored House Bill 1123, which would allow the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) to use a child advocacy center to coordinate a multidisciplinary team made up of specialized individuals in order to respond to reports of child abuse or neglect.
House Bill 1123 would also ensure that Hoosier children are provided with the necessary resources after an instance of child abuse or neglect is reported.
This bill would also improve the mental health and trauma-focused treatment victims receive through agencies and would allow for additional care to be provided to children who need it.
House Bill 1123 passed the Senate Committee on Family and Children Services on Monday, and will now be considered by the full Senate.
Legislative calendars, agendas, vote tallies and proposed legislation can be found on iga.in.gov.
As always, feel free to contact my office directly with your questions and concerns by email at Senator.Messmer@iga.in.gov or by phone at 800-382-9467.
-30-
State Sen. Mark Messmer (R-Jasper) represents Senate District 48, which
includes Crawford, Dubois, Gibson, Perry, Pike and Spencer counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
