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The Afternoons with Amos PODCAST For Friday, August 21, 2015. (Entire PODCAST Is About Department of Child Services Issues). Inside my office at the radio station is a box of documents the media were provided after the tragic death of Tajanay Bailey in December 2007. Tajanay was a three year old Black girl, in the care of the Department of Child Services (DCS) who was mistreated and eventually killed by the the mother and boyfriend responsible for her care. The case created a firestorm of protest against the Department of Child Services and the Daniels Administration. It forced a new examination of conditions endured by residents of the Phoenix Apartments, the slum apartments in the Meadows where Tajanay was killed. More importantly, the box of paperwork exposed a culture within DCS of buck passing and not acting in the best interest of this young child; or all children in DCS’ case. Now, in the Pence Administration, there’s been charges that DCS isn’t acting on the best interests of Indiana’s children. Under pressure from Democratic legislators, Gov. Mike Pence was forced to find money to hire more caseworkers as caseloads are rising sharply in Indiana fueled by a weak economy, a rash of uncaring parents, and more cases filed in the state of children in need of services.
Rep. Robin Shackleford
In the regular monthly third Friday of the month visits by African-American state legislators, State Rep. Robin Shackleford brought forth the concerns she and other legislators had been hearing about the Department of Child Services. That brought forth an explosion of calls and feedback from Afternoons with Amos listeners. Including current and past DCS caseworkers who spoke eloquently about the problems in the department that are not protecting Hoosier children. The discussion went on for the full two hours of the program. Listeners who were foster parents and other parents and grandparents weighed in with their experiences with DCS and how they felt things needed to improve. This is a full length Afternoons with Amos that’s and emotional and eye-opening program on the continued problems with the agency responsible for protecting Indiana’s most vulnerable – its children. The Afternoons with Amos PODCAST For Friday, August 21, 2015. Runs 95 Minutes ©2015 WTLC/Radio One. PODCAST Starts After Brief Video Ad.
