By Julie Whitman, Executive Director | Commission on Improving the Status of Children in Indiana Children in the court system—whether through juvenile justice or child welfare—must be treated equitably. Children, individuals, and families of color have at times been treated more harshly and punished more severely than their white counterparts. It is a fact, and it […]
For the Children
Kinship Caregivers
When grandparents stand in the gap When parents become unavailable to care for their children—whether through addiction, incarceration, or some other tragic circumstance—very often the children’s grandparents or other relatives absorb the children into their households. This may happen formally through CHINS, guardianship, or custody proceedings, but it often happens informally, with no court involvement […]
Giving Kids the Winning Edge: 23rd Annual GAL/CASA Conference
By Leslie Dunn, State Director of GAL/CASA | Office of Court Services The 23rd Annual GAL/CASA conference “Giving Kids the Winning Edge” was recently held in French Lick. Nearly 700 GAL/CASA program staff and volunteers attended the event. Former NFL player and author, Shawn Harper, was the keynote speaker. He shared his story of overcoming […]
GAL/CASA: Capacity Building Pilot Projects
By Leslie Dunn, State Director of GAL/CASA | Office of Court Services In January 2018, the State Office of GAL/CASA began capacity building pilot projects in eight counties that had children on a waiting list for a GAL/CASA. The initial pilot counties were Clark, Delaware, Elkhart, Hendricks, Henry, Monroe, Tippecanoe, and Wayne. The goal of […]
Collaborating for the Children
Julie Whitman, Executive Director | Commission on Improving the Status of Children in Indiana Children live in families and communities, not programs and systems. When government intervenes in the life of a child, that intervention is inevitably through a program within a state agency or system. The Department of Child Services provides court-ordered foster care; […]
