Title 31, FAMILY LAW AND JUVENILE LAW

Sec. 18. The department may adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 necessary to carry out the department's or bureau's duties under this article. As added by P.L.145-2006, SEC.271.

Sec. 19. (a) The department may charge the following adoption fees: (1) An adoption placement fee that may not exceed the actual costs incurred by the department for medical expenses of children and mothers. (2) A fee that does not exceed the time and travel costs incurred by the…

Sec. 2. The director may employ necessary personnel to carry out the department's responsibilities subject to: (1) the budget agency's approval under IC 4-12-1-13; and (2) IC 4-15-2.2. As added by P.L.145-2006, SEC.271. Amended by P.L.6-2012, SEC.206.

Sec. 2.5. The following are not personally liable, except to the state, for an official act done or omitted in connection with performance of duties under this title: (1) The director of the department. (2) Other officers and employees of the department. As added by P.L.146-2008,…

Sec. 20.1. (a) The department may receive and administer a gift, devise, or bequest of personal property, including the income from real property, that is: (1) to or for the benefit of a home or an institution in which formerly abused or neglected children are cared for under the…

Sec. 20.2. (a) This section does not apply to: (1) money received before January 1, 2009, to reimburse the county family and children's fund for expenditures made from the appropriations of the counties; or (2) money received after December 31, 2008, to reimburse the department f…

Sec. 20.4. (a) The department shall establish at least three (3) citizen review panels in accordance with the requirements of the federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act under 42 U.S.C. 5106a. (b) A citizen review panel consists of volunteer members who broadly represent…

Sec. 21. (a) As used in this section, "transitional services plan" means a plan that provides information concerning the following to an individual described in subsection (b): (1) Education. (2) Employment. (3) Housing. (4) Health care, including information concerning the indiv…

Sec. 22. (a) The department shall, at least one (1) time each month, provide to the Indiana department of health a list containing the names and dates of birth of children identified in the records of the department to whom all of the following apply: (1) The parent-child relatio…

Sec. 23. (a) The department shall establish a permanency roundtable (as defined in IC 31-9-2.1-176). The permanency roundtable shall review: (1) a child's permanency plan under IC 31-34-21-5.7 if the child is placed in a child caring institution, group home, or private secure fac…

Sec. 24. (a) Before December 31 of each year, the department shall annually prepare a report concerning all child fatalities or near fatalities in Indiana that are the result of child abuse or neglect in the preceding calendar year. The report must include the following informati…

Sec. 25. The department shall submit a report, not later than December 31 of each year, to the general assembly concerning the kinship care navigator program. The report must include the following information: (1) How the program has provided outreach to kinship care families, in…

Sec. 26. (a) The department may collaborate with public and private entities to implement or participate in programs, including technology based platforms, designed to connect the department and local offices with supportive local community organizations that may provide assistan…

Sec. 28. (a) Subject to federal approval, the department may enter into a written agreement with the department of state revenue to transfer the administration of the child support bureau established by IC 31-25-3 and all related duties to the department of state revenue. (b) If …

Sec. 29. (a) The department shall collaborate with: (1) at least one (1) individual who is at least eighteen (18) years of age and who has lived experience as a child within the child welfare system; (2) at least one (1) child placing agency; and (3) any other person with experti…

Sec. 3. The director shall determine the best manner of organizing the department to provide the necessary services throughout Indiana to fulfill the purposes of this article. As added by P.L.145-2006, SEC.271.

Sec. 4. One (1) time every twelve (12) months, the department shall submit a report to the budget committee and to the legislative council that provides data and statistical information regarding caseloads of family case managers. The report made to the legislative council must b…

Sec. 5. (a) The department shall ensure that the department maintains staffing levels of family case managers so that each region has enough family case managers to allow caseloads to be at not more than: (1) twelve (12) active cases relating to initial assessments, including inv…

Sec. 6. The report required under section 4 of this chapter must do the following: (1) Indicate the department's progress in recruiting, training, and retaining family case managers. (2) Describe the methodology used to compute caseloads for each family case manager. (3) Indicate…

Sec. 7. (a) The department is responsible for the following: (1) Providing child protection services under this article. (2) Providing and administering child abuse and neglect prevention services. (3) Providing and administering child services. (4) Providing and administering fa…

Sec. 7.5. (a) The department shall before October 1, 2021, establish policies and procedures to allow for child and family services to be provided remotely by October 1, 2021. Subject to subsection (b), these policies and procedures must allow a child and family services provider…

Sec. 8. (a) The department is the single state agency responsible for administering the following: (1) Title IV-B of the federal Social Security Act under 42 U.S.C. 621 et seq. (2) Title IV-E of the federal Social Security Act under 42 U.S.C. 670 et seq. (3) The federal Child Abu…

Sec. 8.5. (a) The following definitions apply throughout this section: (1) "Child services provider" means a: (A) child caring institution licensed under IC 31-27-3; (B) group home licensed under IC 31-27-5; (C) child placing agency licensed under IC 31-27-6; or (D) private secur…

Sec. 1. The department shall perform the following duties: (1) Administer the licensing and monitoring of child caring institutions, foster family homes, group homes, and child placing agencies in accordance with this article. (2) Ensure that a criminal history check of an applic…

Note: This version of section effective until 7-1-2027. See also following version of this section, effective 7-1-2027. Sec. 10. (a) If the department determines that a waiver or variance expiring under section 9 of this chapter will continue to serve the public interest, the dep…

Sec. 11. (a) If a licensee under this article violates a condition of a waiver or variance under this chapter, the department may issue an order revoking the waiver or variance before the waiver or variance expires under section 9 of this chapter. (b) If a waiver or variance is r…

Sec. 12. (a) The department shall, in collaboration with: (1) current foster parents; (2) child placing agencies; and (3) other individuals and organizations with expertise in foster care services; develop and update periodically a statement that describes the rights of a foster …

Sec. 13. If the governor declares a state of disaster emergency under IC 10-14-3-12, the director of the department, or the director's designee, may modify or suspend enforcement of a statute or rule specifying a time within which a foster parent must provide for a child to be ex…

Note: This version of section effective until 7-1-2027. See also following version of this section, effective 7-1-2027. Sec. 2. The department may do the following: (1) Prescribe forms for reports, statements, notices, and other documents required by this article or by the rules …

Sec. 3. The department may not charge an application fee for a foster family home. As added by P.L.145-2006, SEC.273.

Note: This version of section effective until 7-1-2027. See also following version of this section, effective 7-1-2027. Sec. 4. (a) The department shall adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 concerning the licensing and inspection of: (1) child caring institutions, foster family homes, gro…

Sec. 5. (a) The department shall monitor the entities licensed under this article for continued compliance with this article and the rules adopted by the department, including conducting the following: (1) Onsite inspections, record reading, observation, and interviewing. (2) An …

Sec. 6. The department shall investigate complaints to determine possible noncompliance with the rules adopted by the department. A licensee is entitled to add comments concerning a complaint to the licensing file. The department shall consider all formal complaints against a lic…

Note: This version of section effective until 7-1-2027. See also following version of this section, effective 7-1-2027. Sec. 7. (a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c), the department shall exempt from licensure a child caring institution and a group home operated by a …

Note: This version of section amended by P.L.145-2026, SEC.174, effective 7-1-2026. See also following version of this section amended by P.L.152-2026, SEC.470, effective 7-1-2027. Sec. 8. (a) Except as provided in subsection (f), the department may grant a variance or waiver of …

Sec. 9. A waiver or variance granted under section 8 of this chapter and a waiver or variance renewed under section 10 of this chapter expires on the earliest of the following: (1) The date when the license affected by the waiver or variance expires. (2) The date set by the depar…

Sec. 1. This chapter applies to children who receive foster care that is funded by the department. As added by P.L.145-2006, SEC.274. Amended by P.L.128-2012, SEC.144.

Sec. 2. If medical care is provided to a child who receives foster care, the person who has custody of the child shall inform the provider that the child is in foster care and require a copy of the medical treatment record be sent to the local office. As added by P.L.145-2006, SE…

Sec. 3. The local office shall maintain the medical treatment records received under section 2 of this chapter. As added by P.L.145-2006, SEC.274. Amended by P.L.128-2012, SEC.146; P.L.46-2024, SEC.11.

Sec. 4. (a) The local office shall provide a copy of the medical treatment records maintained under this chapter to the person who provides foster care to a child unless otherwise prohibited by state or federal law. (b) The local office shall provide an individual who: (1) is at …

Sec. 0.1. The amendments made to section 1 of this chapter by P.L.217-2001 apply to all proceedings pending under IC 31-34 on July 1, 2001, and to all proceedings commenced under IC 31-34 after June 30, 2001. As added by P.L.220-2011, SEC.511.

Sec. 1. (a) Except as provided in subsections (b), (c), and (h), the juvenile court's jurisdiction over a delinquent child or a child in need of services and over the child's parent, guardian, or custodian continues until: (1) the child becomes twenty-one (21) years of age, unles…

Sec. 2. If the department of correction is awarded guardianship of a child under section 1(a)(2) of this chapter (or IC 31-6-2-3(a)(2) before its repeal), the department of correction shall notify the court awarding the guardianship when the department will release the child from…

Sec. 3. After receiving notification under section 2 of this chapter (or IC 31-6-2-3(b) before its repeal), a juvenile court may within thirty (30) days after notification, on the court's own motion, reinstate jurisdiction over the child for the purpose of modifying under IC 31-3…

Sec. 4. (a) The department of correction may petition the court to reinstate the court's jurisdiction over the child and the child's parent, guardian, or custodian to modify the court's decree under IC 31-34-23 or IC 31-37-22 (or IC 31-6-7-16 before its repeal) or order the child…

Sec. 5. If any part of an order of restitution remains unpaid at the time a child is released by the department of correction, the court may reinstate jurisdiction over the child and place the child under the supervision of the probation department until the restitution order is …