Opioid Epidemic Overwhelming Child Service Caseworkers

Last updated on Monday, September 11, 2017

(INDIANAPOLIS) - Indiana’s Department of Child Services is struggling to reduce caseloads swollen by the opioid epidemic.

State law caps a caseworkers' active roster at 17, but most of the agency's districts are far above that.

Spokesman James Wide says the department has added more than 500 caseworkers and managers the last four years, trying to get caseloads down.

But there's not much progress, because the opioid epidemic has helped add 16 kids to the rolls for every new worker.

And another 15,000 cases have been opened this year.

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