Indiana child welfare chief resigns, says governor's policies 'all but ensure children will die'

Note: This article is from last month; however, I thought it should be posted to show the callousness of the governor towards child welfare.

INDIANAPOLIS — The head of Indiana's child welfare agency told the governor in a scathing letter that she is quitting because his administration cut services and made changes to her agency that has made it impossible to adequately protect the state's most vulnerable kids.

Mary Beth Bonaventura, who's stepping down Dec. 27 after five years as director of the Indiana Department of Child Services, warned in last week's resignation letter to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb that a continuation of his administration's policies will "all but ensure children will die."

The letter, first reported Monday by the Indianapolis Star, was independently obtained by The Associated Press.

"I choose to resign, rather than be complicit in decreasing the safety, permanency and well-being of children who have nowhere else to turn," Bonaventura wrote. "I feel I am unable to protect children because of the position taken by your staff to cut funding and services to children in the midst of the opioid crisis."

Read more: https://www.southbendtribune.com/news/politics/indiana-child-welfare-chief-resigns-says-governor-s-policies-all/article_80c1e4b6-e42c-11e7-8e75-bb85010ab65d.html