Indiana child service workers are reportedly working beyond the state requirements for their caseloads. Indiana's Department of Child Services says it isn't meeting state-mandated caseload standards, and also aren't asking for additional funds to hire more child welfare workers. This according to the agency's chief of staff, who told the State Budget Committee this week that only one of its 19 regions meets the workload standards for case workers. State law requires DCS family case managers to average no more than 12 initial assessments or 17 ongoing cases per worker. Before money for additional case workers can be requested, DCS Director Mary Beth Bonaventura says she wants the agency to complete an updated workload analysis. Bonaventura says the current standard might be obsolete thanks to changes in the duties of case managers in recent years.
