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The Indiana Coalition for Human Services supports adequate funding for health and human services in the state budget to ensure the delivery of health and human services throughout the State of Indiana.
Children are entitled to protection, care and treatment under state and federal law; however, Indiana continues to have high rates of child abuse and neglect. In Indiana, 109,499 reports of abuse and neglect were made during SFY 2008. In 2008, the rate of substantiated reports of child maltreatment was 11 per 1,000 children ages 0–17.
Providing adequate, well-trained staff and services is the best approach to protecting children, supporting families and providing timely, appropriate intervention.
The Indiana Coalition for Human Services supports the following for the State of Indiana:
Invest in human capital through health and human services as part of Indiana’s economic development plan.
All Hoosiers must be included in Indiana’s economic development plans to strengthen Indiana’s working families and the workforce. Investing in health and human services generates business activity in the state and local economies, and helps individuals meet their basic needs and reach economic self-sufficiency.
Ensure adequate and timely funding for health and human services.
As poverty and joblessness in Indiana increase, so does the number of people in need of health and human services. Reducing services during these times results in families unable to meet their basic needs of housing, food, health care, childcare and other vital resources. Contracted service providers should receive payment based on the actual cost of rendering services and in a timely manner as defined in existing service contracts.
Provide sufficient resources to protect Indiana’s vulnerable children and youth.
Resources should be sufficient to comply with Indiana Code and best practice standards for programs and services. In addition, timely payments to providers and investment in community-based prevention services for youth and families must be made to decrease violence, neglect and juvenile delinquency.
Guarantee sufficient resources for support of people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.
All persons with developmental disabilities, as well as their families, deserve programs, funding and public policies that will assist them in realizing their goals of learning, living, working and playing in the community.
Support of the Department of Child Services Ombudsman.
The creation of a DCS Ombudsman was a great step forward in improving Indiana’s child welfare system, promoting community trust in DCS’s efforts and services and providing accountability to Hoosier citizens. The State of Indiana must provide appropriate support to the ombudsmen when deemed necessary in order to
ensure the Ombudsmen has the ability to complete its work in a satisfactory, timely and efficient manner.
Provide the funding necessary to ensure all Hoosiers can access 2-1-1 information and referral services and the vital human service connections it makes.
2-1-1 provides critical services comparable to 9-1-1 despite the lack of dedicated public funding. In 2008, the economic downturn and three federally declared state disasters demonstrated the need for state support of comprehensive 2-1-1 services for all Hoosiers.
Fully implement the recommendations of the Commission on Disproportionality in Youth Services.
All Hoosier children are entitled to fair and equitable services that will allow them to flourish in their families and communities. The Commission’s recommendations provide a blueprint for creating necessary changes in the child welfare, education, juvenile justice and mental health systems. Continue to ensure measures passed
in 2009 legislative session are fully implemented.
Enhance state revenue streams while leveraging as much additional federal funding as possible.
Indiana must find ways to maintain revenue to fund fully essential health and human services for its citizens. Indiana citizens pay more in federal taxes than the state receives back in federal spending, making it a “donor” state. Thus, Indiana must also maximize the amount of federal funding available for health and human service and outreach programs.
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