A bill expanding what the Indiana Department of Child Services is required to include in their end-of-year child fatality report was passed in an unanimous vote by the Senate Child and Family Services Committee on Monday.
Rep. Ryan Lauer (R-Columbus), author of HB 1247, was inspired by the tragic story of Judah Morgan. Judah was the four-year-old murdered by his biological parents last October in rural Hamlet. At the time of his death, Judah had only lived with his parents, who had a history of abuse, for six months during a home trial with DCS. Although he was supposed to be monitored during the home trial, it was believed Judah had been abused for months leading up to the October death.
House Bill 1247 would require DCS to include if a deceased child had a prior history with DCS, including abuse or neglect, as well as the location and status of the child at the time of death. The agency would also be required to report whether a child had an open case with DCS at the time of their death. If passed, the bill will go into effect on July 1.
Jenna Hullett, Judah's caregiver and biological cousin who Judah knew as mom for the first three and a half years of his life, has made it a mission to call attention to the broken foster care system she says the state has. She testified Monday at the statehouse in favor of the bill.
House Bill 1247 is one of several introduced this legislative session that lawmakers said was directly inspired by Judah's case. Senate Bill 410, also known as Judah's Law, was passed also Tuesday and would give kinship caregivers like Hullett’s family the right to intervene “at any stage” of a TPR case, even if they are not licensed foster parents.
Although it may be too little too late for her precious Judah, Jenna hopes the changes will save another child like him in the future.
Anyone who suspects a child is being abused or neglected is urged to call the Indiana Department of Child Services' Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 1-800-800-5556. Reports can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can be anonymous.
