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Senate approves tighter timelines for foster‑care permanency, expands foster‑parent participation
Summary
On April 3 the Senate passed House Bill 16-05, aiming to shorten the time children remain in foster care and give long‑term foster parents greater ability to intervene. Supporters said the bill improves permanency; some members urged safeguards and monitoring.
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Senate on April 3 approved House Bill 16-05 on a 45-3 vote, a measure supporters described as a statutory effort to speed permanency for children in foster care and to give foster parents a stronger voice in court proceedings.
Senator Brown, presenting the bill, said the legislation updates juvenile procedures to reduce prolonged stays in foster care and to let foster parents who have cared for a child more than a year intervene in proceedings. “The goal is ... improving our permanency timelines for children in foster care,” Brown said, calling the measure a response to cases where children spend years in the system.
Supporters said the bill preserves reunification as the preferred outcome when safe but prevents repeated continuances that prolong instability for children. The sponsor said the bill will not automatically terminate parental rights without due process and stressed it aims to make permanency decisions more timely so children do not linger in temporary placements.
Several senators said they studied the measure carefully. Senator Cordura described a series of meetings with stakeholders, including the Department of Child Services (DCS), foster parents and public defenders. Cordura said she would support the bill with reservations and urged DCS be given an emergency appeal mechanism if the two allowed 90‑day continuations are insufficient in particular cases.
Senator Johnson, who identified himself as a foster parent, said the bill balances reunification with the child’s best interest and urged colleagues to support it because children are the primary concern. Senator Taylor likewise described personal conversations with foster families and said the bill seeks to protect children’s need for stable, long‑term homes.
Senators discussed implementation and oversight. DCS’s position on the bill on the floor was described as neutral; senators said the DCS director committed to returning to the Legislature quickly if implementation problems arise. The clerk recorded 45 ayes and 3 noes; the bill has passed the Senate and the secretary will notify the House.
