By State Sen. Mark Messmer (R-Jasper)
Keeping Hoosier children safe from harm is one of my top priorities as a state senator.
Each year, the Interim Study Committee on Child Services is asked to review reports of child fatalities, abuse and neglect from the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS).
While listening to DCS testify on these issues can be difficult to hear, it's important for legislators to understand these situations so we can make public-policy decisions that keep our most vulnerable Hoosiers safe.
According to DCS, the number of child fatalities from abuse has remained the same in recent years, and the number of deaths from neglect has risen.
In response, the child services committee released a report on steps the state and General Assembly should consider to better protect children in Indiana.
These steps include having real-time reporting information available and determining how the state can make this happen, studying the process for maintaining medical records and understanding how these policies can be adjusted.
The committee would also like to see how local child fatality review teams can fully participate and submit reports in a timely manner.
These review teams work to understand how and why children die and seek ways to prevent it.
The report also suggests looking further into staffing shortages at DCS and seeing what has been done to alleviate this issue since 2018.
Several interim committees will continue to meet over the next month. To view committee livestreams and agendas, visit 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.
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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.
