Pharos-Tribune

Local News

July 23, 2008

New child services office

<b>Open house scheduled at downtown Logansport location</b>

As part of a statewide effort to improve services, the Indiana Department of Child Services recently moved to downtown Logansport.

The newly renovated office is on the fifth floor of the Logan Square building at 300 E. Broadway. Just across from the courthouse, the new address provides a central location for clients.

“Primarily, we want to be in a place that is accessible to the public,” said Jeff Lozer, general counsel for the Department of Child Services.

Lozer was in town recently to visit the office for the first time. He said Cass County’s office was one 40 in Indiana moving to new, professional office space.

The move from 1714 Dividend Drive is part of the state’s effort to reduce caseloads for managers and increase the level of attention paid to each case. Lozer said that caseloads had been too high so the state nearly doubled the number of case managers over the last six months from 800 to about 1,600.

Cass County has gone from four case managers to six. The supervisor went from part-time to full-time. The local office now has a full-time staff attorney as well.

“We hope with a well-maintained system of care here that we’re going to be able to keep caseloads at the current state,” Lozer said.

Each manager will handle no more than 17 cases at any given time. That ratio will permit a more meaningful impact on the child, Lozer said.

The Department of Child Services administers child support, child protection, adoption and foster care throughout Indiana. It was formed in 2005 through an executive order by Gov. Mitch Daniels. It split from the Family & Social Services Administration in order to establish a separate agency that aims to keep children safe from abuse and neglect and to find permanent homes.

“We’re all about safety and permanency,” Lozer said.

Other services include Community Partners, a program that provides in-home services such as family preservation, intensive reunification services, counseling, tutoring, parenting classes and family assessments. Families wanting more information on Community Partners can call (574) 722-2901.

The new office has a conference room, an observation room for supervised visitations or taking testimony from a young victim and a private work area where files protected under confidentiality laws are kept. The department signed a 10-year lease for the space.

Brian Brown is the incoming director in the Cass County office. Brown is a Child Services employee in White County and was formerly employed in Cass County. He officially starts in Logansport on July 28.

Kevin Lilly can be reached at (574) 732-5117, or via e-mail at kevin.lilly@pharostribune.com



New office open house

• The Indiana Department of Child Services will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house at its new location in Cass County. The public is invited to attend from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday at 300 E. Broadway in Logansport. The phone number is (574) 722-3677.



Child abuse hotline

• To report child abuse or neglect, call the toll-free, 24-hour hotline at (800) 800-5556.

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Local News
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
Featured Ads
More pharostribune.com
Hyperlocal Search
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Popular Searches
Powered by Local.com
AP Video
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium 50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes Raw Video: Fight Erupts in Ukrainian Parliament Texan Ranchers Remain Wary of Drought Raw Video: Soldiers Plant Flags at Arlington Police: Man Arrested in Etan Patz Disappearance NYC Protests: the Revolution Will Be Scripted Chicago U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald Resigns Neighbors of Etan Patz's Suspect: It's Shocking Gulf Fishermen Reel From Seafood Troubles Stuntman Makes Skydive Without Parachute in UK Raw Video: Bride Who Faked Cancer Released
Parade
Magazine

Click HERE to read all your Parade favorites including Hollywood Wire, Celebrity interviews and photo galleries, Food recipes and cooking tips, Games and lots more.
Poll

Cass County commissioners recently passed an ordinance giving three departments the authority to issue tickets to individuals whose properties are in violation of county codes. Do you support this move?

Yes
No
Note sure
     View Results

eEdition