DCS and governor sued over level of care for vulnerable children

INDIANAPOLIS— A disability rights group has sued the state’s Department of Child Services to force change at an agency that has high numbers of children in an overburdened foster care system.

Indiana Disability Rights, an Indianapolis organization that advocates on behalf of children, filed the civil rights lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Evansville Tuesday on behalf of all children in the DCS system. It identifies nine children who are in the foster care system as representative plaintiffs in the case.

“It is traumatic enough being separated from your parents but to then be further traumatized by a system meant to protect is terrible,” said Melissa Keyes, legal director for IDR.

In addition to the agency, Director Terry Stigdon and Gov. Eric Holcomb are named in the lawsuit.

Read more: http://thestatehousefile.com/dcs-governor-sued-level-care-vulnerable-children/39257/