INDIANAPOLIS — A bill aimed at closing a gap in child safety oversight is advancing at the Indiana Statehouse following the death of Kinsleigh Welty.
House Bill 1036 would require DCS caseworkers to conduct an in-person visit before they can close a case. The legislation passed out of the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.
The death of Kinsleigh Welty prompted the proposed legislation. Her grandparents say the girl was returned to her birth mother, who allegedly murdered her, but the DCS caseworker closed the case without laying eyes on Kinsleigh.
Brian Welty, Kinsleigh's grandfather, has testified in support of related legislation at the statehouse.
"I've never felt so helpless. I knew they were going to a monster's house and there was nothing we could do," Brian Welty previously testified about the case. "The last time we saw Kinsleigh she was kicking and screaming to stay with us. I don't wanna go to Mommy's is the last words we ever heard her say."
Kinsleigh's birth mother, Toni McClure, is charged with murdering the child. DCS had returned Kinsleigh to McClure despite numerous reports of abuse, according to her grandparents.
Kinsleigh's case has also prompted another piece of legislation - House Bill 1257. That bill would require the agency to release information to the media within five days of a child's death.
Indiana is currently one of the strictest states when it comes to confidentiality regarding child welfare cases.
The legislation now moves forward in the legislative process as lawmakers work to strengthen child protection protocols in Indiana.
