New DCS director pledges cultural, fiscal and operational overhaul; highlights intensive foster‑care expansion

Adam Krupp, the newly appointed director of the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS), told the State Budget Committee he intends to overhaul agency culture, tighten financial controls and expand programs aimed at keeping children in family‑based care.

What he said: Krupp said he would review “every procedure, protocol, process and program” at DCS, stressing the need to pair fiscal discipline with better front‑line support for case managers. He described organizational culture, budget management and public trust as his three principal priorities.

Highlights - Intensive foster care expansion: Krupp highlighted a recent rapid growth in an intensive foster‑care model that places children in trained family settings rather than high‑cost residential facilities. He told the committee the program has scaled from only a handful of children to more than 150 and said this model can reduce placement costs: he gave an example where an emergency shelter placement at about $2,300 per day could be avoided by placing a child in intensive foster care at about $240 per day. - Caseloads and hotline volume: DCS said the state receives roughly 214,000 hotline reports for suspected abuse and neglect annually (about 626 calls on an average weekday). Krupp reminded the committee the agency currently staffs a 24/7 hotline and manages around 16,000 active cases statewide — down from earlier peaks but still a major operational load. - Permanency and placement metrics: Krupp reported the average length of stay in foster care has fallen in recent years and said Indiana’s average days to permanency (about 544 days) compares favorably with a national benchmark of roughly 730 days. - Financial oversight: Krupp said DCS will institute monthly financial reviews, seek program efficiencies, and study provider contracts and residential placements to lower costs. He cited an aborted child‑support IT modernization project as an example where DCS stopped spending on technology that was not achieving promised operational results.

Context and next steps: Krupp said he plans to reframe DCS mission statements and roll out a public‑facing plan. He told the committee the department will continue work on foster recruitment and retention, expand intensive foster options, and develop financial monitoring procedures to track service spending and outcomes.

Ending: Krupp asked for the committee’s support for reforms designed to strengthen the child welfare workforce, shorten time to permanency and manage costs by focusing on family‑based placements rather than expensive congregate care.