Councilperson Luke Deowser urges borough to forward resolution calling for statewide review of children’s services

Councilperson Luke Deowser introduced a resolution asking the Pennsylvania Municipal League to pursue a statewide review of children’s services and the Indiana Borough Council voted unanimously to forward the proposal to the league’s district meeting for consideration.

Deowser said the resolution is intended as a broad, top-to-bottom review covering “legal system all the way through abuse, medical, mental health, foster families, just court systems,” and that he and collaborators had consulted county commissioners and state legislative staff while drafting it. “I brought this up… because this is I think an issue that affects many across the state,” Deowser said during his presentation.

Deowser described the procedural path: if the borough adopts the resolution it will be sent to the municipal league district meeting scheduled for April 29; if the district adopts it, the proposal could go to the leaguewide meeting (the council discussed last year’s October timing) and become a 2027 lobbying priority for the league.

During discussion, a council member proposed adding language to paragraph five to require oversight, accountability and performance measures at both the county and statewide levels so data would be comparable across jurisdictions. Jonathan recommended wording to insert “county and statewide” into that paragraph; Deowser accepted that as a friendly amendment and the seconder, Casey, agreed.

A motion to approve forwarding the resolution as amended was made and seconded; the council voted in favor with no recorded opposition. The chair declared the motion carried.

The council recorded no further public comment on the item. The resolution will be presented at the municipal league district meeting on April 29 for the district’s consideration; if adopted there it may advance to the leaguewide meeting for potential adoption as a 2027 lobbying point.