INDIANAPOLIS — 59 children died from abuse and neglect in 2024, a 5 percent increase from 2023, according to a new state report.
The Indiana Department of Child Services released its Annual Report of Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities on Monday.
DCS investigated 276 child deaths in 2024 and determined 59 were a result of abuse or neglect, according to the report.
In 2023, 56 children died from abuse and neglect. According to the report, 18 of the fatalities were due to abuse, and 41 were the result of neglect.
The majority (71%) of the fatalities involved a child 3 years old or younger. Death by weapon was the leading cause of death, listed in 20% of cases, according to the report.
Unsafe sleep conditions, drowning and poisoning, including overdose or acute intoxication, were also leading factors, the state report read.
DCS says it reviews all child fatalities that meet the following circumstances:
- For children under 3 years of age: The death is sudden, unexpected or unexplained, or involves allegations of abuse and neglect.
- For children age 3 or older: The death involves allegations of abuse or neglect.
Some people have criticized the delay in child fatality reporting, however legislation to address it failed to move forward last legislative session.
Currently, the Indiana Department of Child Services puts out an annual child fatality report, but there’s a significant lag time.
For example, DCS released the 2023 report in January 2025, which revealed that 56 children died from abuse and neglect.
Plus, Indiana is one of the strictest states when it comes to confidentiality, meaning people are often unaware of the things DCS is doing or not doing to protect children.
“We do get dragged through the mud at times,” DCS Director Adam Krupp told WRTV earlier this year. “I would love to see us say more. I would love our ability to be transparent. The laws hold us back in many cases, and we are simply bound in some cases. There is criminal liability if we disclose information when folks like you are begging to have."
House Bill 1152 would have required:
- DCS to disclose whether it received calls to the state hotline before a child’s death.
- DCS to provide a public summary report within 90 days of completing the report for cases involving a child fatality or near fatality.
The bill failed to get a hearing in the Indiana Senate, which killed the bill in 2025.
DCS Director Adam Krupp says he’s open to finding ways for DCS to share information with the public.
"Let’s come up with a collaborative solution that’s reasonable,” said Krupp. “So that we don’t put even more pressure on an already strained budget."
DCS released the following statement on Monday:
“By law, DCS is required to publish an annual report of child fatalities caused by abuse and neglect. Due to the nature of these investigations, this report, published on or before December 31 each year, includes all such fatalities that occurred in the previous calendar year. We recognize this timing element has historically generated criticism around transparency. To address concerns raised by legislators and constituents alike, DCS is working on a pilot project that will see the release of this information on a quarterly basis beginning in 2026, while still releasing an annual report by December 31 each year.”
The full report can be found here [click.smcmail.dcs.in.gov]
