Early intervention council presents ‘Where the Children Are’ report and proposes ordinance review

Elizabeth Coit, coordinator for the Marion County Commission on Youth (McCoy) and presenter for the Early Intervention Planning Council, told the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee Wednesday that the council published a compiled data report titled “Where the Children Are” to give local decision-makers a single source of information about children who are involved with child welfare and juvenile systems.

“The earlier we can intervene, [the] results in positive outcomes for children, families, communities across the county, decreases the cost [to] public safety and law enforcement, and leverages existing resources,” Coit said, summarizing the council’s prevention-focused mission and the rationale for the report.

The report pulls publicly available data into one place to show counts and trends the council said are essential for policy and budgeting decisions. Coit told the committee the council intends to propose revisions to the establishing ordinance and…