TOP STORY OF THE DAY - Sen. Jon Ford announces: Prosecutor testifies in support of bill cracking down on the review of child fatalities

SUBMITTED - “It’s time for the Department of Child Services (DCS) to step out of the shadows of confidentiality and step into the light where the rest of us practice...” - Clay County Prosecutor Emily Clarke

STATEHOUSE — This week, Clay County Prosecutor Emily Clarke testified at the Statehouse in support of legislation authored by State Sen. Jon Ford (R-Terre Haute) that would improve the process by which child fatalities are reviewed.

House Bill 1247 would require the state child fatality review coordinator to provide each local child fatality review team with a data collection form to report information regarding child fatalities.

“It’s time for the Department of Child Services (DCS) to step out of the shadows of confidentiality and step into the light where the rest of us practice,” said Clarke, who is also a member of the Clay County child protective team. “I feel it is important for a state agency to review what goes wrong, and we can’t review what goes wrong in a case unless we have all the details.”

This legislation also specifies additional information that must be included in DCS’s annual report regarding child fatalities that are a result of abuse or neglect.

“I appreciate Emily making the trip to the Statehouse to share her insight on this issue and show her support for HB 1247,” Ford said. “Prosecuting attorneys often see some of the most heartbreaking cases in our society involving the abuse and neglect of children. We can’t allow our current system to continue to fail these young Hoosiers.”

HB 1247 will now move to the full Senate for further consideration.