INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) has launched a new initiative called Project Awaken, aimed at transforming the agency to better serve children and families across the state.
The initiative, announced Friday by the department, is a collaboration with current and former employees, community partners, foster parents, and families to identify areas for improvement in policies and procedures.
"All Hoosier children deserve a safe place to lay their head at night," said Indiana Governor Mike Braun. "Things are not working as well as they should at DCS, but we are going to change that."
WRTV Investigates has extensively covered DCS in a special report titled "Kids in Our Care," highlighting a pivotal year for child welfare in Indiana.
MORE: Kids in our Care: Pressing for Change
The stakes are high, as dozens of children die each year from abuse and neglect. In 2025 alone, at least eight individuals have been charged in connection with child abuse or neglect in Marion County, stemming from several tragic cases, including the deaths of Skylar Gardner, Daisy Phillips, Asher Robinson, Kayden Gavarette, and Gwendolyn Cooksey.
According to DCS, the Awaken initiative is expected to redirect between $4 to $8 million toward important services like foster care and family case management.
Additionally, in late 2024, Governor Braun’s transition team evaluated DCS and found that the agency was burdened with too many geographic regions—18 in total—that created inefficiencies. To address these issues, DCS will be reduced to five regions.
DCS is also committed to hiring more family case managers across Indiana’s 92 counties to reduce workloads and improve morale. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a family case manager, more information can be found here.
