Committee backs Child Welfare Task Force bill to study services, adds lived‑experience member

The Senate committee advanced House Bill 1273, which would create a Child Welfare Task Force charged with assessing the child‑welfare service continuum, service gaps and permanency outcomes across Indiana.

Representative Devon presented the bill and said it passed the House by a wide margin and had bipartisan support. The bill establishes a stakeholder group that includes legislators, DCS and probation designees, judges, service providers and a member with lived experience in the child‑welfare system; an amendment added a lived‑experience seat to the panel.

Tina Clore, CEO of Firefly Children and Family Alliance, told the committee the provider network needs coordination so families and children receive services at the right level and place: “We view House Bill 12 73 as a step in the right direction to ensuring that all stakeholders are at the table,” Clore said. Other providers, including Child Place Family Services and the Villages of Indiana, testified in favor, saying the task force would help match capacity and resources with regional needs.

Witnesses requested additional seats or the ability to present to the task force; the committee noted that groups can be invited to testify at task‑force meetings even if they are not formal members. The bill was reported out as amended. The transcript records the committee vote as 6‑0; the bill was later recommitted, per committee statement, for further processing.

Supporters said the measure is intended to give providers clearer direction about system priorities so they can scale services and avoid geographic gaps. Several witnesses urged adding a guardian ad litem/CASA office representative and noted statewide shortages in therapists and other specialized practitioners. Committee members and the sponsor said the task force will be a forum for ongoing engagement among agencies, providers and former clients.