Lamakers unanimously moved a bill forward requiring in person checks for the Department of Child Services before they can close out alleged cases of abuse and neglect. The bill is in response to the death of an Indianapolis five-year-old.

State officials, lawmakers and advocates gathered at the Statehouse Tuesday to push for more resources to prevent child abuse and encourage people to report suspected cases.

Dr. Caitlin Bernard has threatened to sue Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita for "false and misleading statements" he made after she provided a medication abortion for the girl from Ohio.

A former case manager in Bartholomew County for the Indiana Department of Child Services, allegedly falsified multiple "311" reports -- the initial assessment made for allegations of child abuse or neglect.

The Indiana Department of Child Services hotline received on average about 600 calls each business day in 2020, the agency said, compared with about 700 calls on average every business day in 2018 and 2019.

WFYI's Taylor Bennett spoke with Child Advocates CEO Cindy Booth about how the economy plays a key role in child welfare, what the organization is doing to help keep children safe and how the community can help.

In 1983, Indianapolis hosted one of the first summits on the emotional and psychological mistreatment of children. This week, experts local, state and international leaders are meeting in the city, looking for new ways to tackle the problem.

The Department of Child Services reviews all child deaths where abuse or neglect was suspected.

A report from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services says 18.6 in every 1,000 Hoosier children were victims of abuse in fiscal year 2017.

Of the 59 deaths, 24 were from abuse and 35 were neglect. Vehicles were involved in most of the deaths attributed to neglect. The most common cause of death from abuse was head trauma.