INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 4, 2024) – The Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) is promoting awareness, resources and support during Kinship Care Awareness Month – a time to celebrate family members who help maintain familial connections, provide stability, reinforce cultural identity and support the well-being of children who can no longer live with their birth parents.

Governor Eric J. Holcomb has proclaimed Kinship Care Awareness Month to promote and preserve kinship, sibling and other familial connections for Indiana’s children. Read his proclamation here.

“Family is the backbone needed to help keep kids safe and loved,” said DCS Director Eric Miller, MPA, MBA. “It’s a selfless act to step forward and care for the child of a relative or a close family friend, often with little notice or training, to help that child maintain close connections and stability when they are needed most.”

According to The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Indiana has about 60,000 children in kinship care. About 3,500 of those children have DCS involvement.

Kinship placements among children in DCS care have risen by 20 percent since 2019 and now represent more than half of DCS out-of-home placements. DCS has been working to increase the number of kinship placements because researchshows children removed from their parents generally experience better outcomes when placed with kin, including reduced trauma, better mental health, improved behavioral, social and educational outcomes, increased stability and stronger connections to the child’s biological family.

Most kinship caregivers in Indiana are grandparents between the ages of 55 and 64, with more than 20 percent being age 65 or older. Grandparents and other adults who agree to be kinship caregivers are often faced with unexpected challenges and barriers, such as shifting family dynamics, struggles with bonding or financial issues.

DCS recognizes the importance of ensuring that both the caregivers and the children receive the appropriate assistance to ensure success and offers a Kinship Navigator program to help identify kinship placements and support relatives as they care for children.

Additionally, DCS offers a monthly stipend of $300 per child to unlicensed kinship caregivers who are caring for a child in DCS custody. Since stipends were launched in July 2023, over $14 million has been distributed to more than 3,000 families. Other resources, including financial, health, legal, educational/developmental and adult support, can be found here or by calling Indiana 2-1-1 (866) 211-9966). DCS encourages all members of the community to help connect kinship families with these much-needed resources.

Anyone interested in becoming a kinship caregiver for youth in DCS care can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information, resources and trainings.

Visit Instagram, X, and LinkedIn for more resources about kinship care throughout the month.

For more information about Indiana kinship care, visit indianafostercare.org. 

September  2, 1911 Madame C. J. Walker applied for incorporation of her cosmetics company in Indianapolis. She became the first woman millionaire in the U.S. September 4, 2012 A life-sized bronze statue of Orville Redenbacher was unveiled in Valparaiso, where he developed the popcorn that made him famous.   September 4, 1928 Dick York, American actor (Darrin-Bewitched, Inherit the Wind), born in Fort Wayne. September 5, 1885 1st gasoline pump is delivered to a gasoline dealer in Fort Wayne, Indiana.     September  6, 1883 Two children, Blanche and Orris Hiestand, discovered Marengo Cave in Crawford County. Our Where in Indiana? from last week was taken at the Soldier's and Sailor's Monument in Indianapolis. Where in Indiana? Do you know where this photograph was taken? Visit us on Instagram to submit your answer. Follow us on Instagram: @instatehousetouroffice Did you see the August 19 Super Blue Moon?

Indiana Statehouse Tour Office Indiana Department of Administration Guided Tours of the Indiana Statehouse are offered Monday through Saturday.  For more information, contact us.   (317) 233-5293 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  Indiana Quick Quiz 1. What is the former name of Evansville? 2. What is the former name of Valparaiso? 3.What is the former name of Muncie? 4. What is the former name of Rensselaer? Answers Below  For more activities              in IN              https://www.visitindiana.com/ Answers 1. McGary's Landing 2. Portersville 3. Munsee Town 4. Newton Those who look for the bad in people will surely find it. — Abraham Lincoln  - Celebrating the Hoosier Spirit of seeing the best in people and maintaining a positive outlook. Please send your favorite Hoosier quote to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ← Notice the Super Blue Moon did not look blue. A Blue Moon gets it's name by being the third full Moon in a season with four full Moons. Mark your calendars for September 18, 2024, to view the Super Harvest Moon. It will also undergo a partial lunar eclipse.

Indiana Capitol Tour Office
http://www.in.gov/idoa/2371.htm

With temperatures soaring in Indiana, Duke Energy is providing tips to help customers save energy – and money. High temperatures can lead to higher energy usage and higher bills as residents try to stay cool. To keep costs low and to reduce overall energy demand, particularly during the afternoon hours when usage tends to peak, customers can follow these simple tips:

• Set the thermostat at the highest comfortable setting. The smaller the difference between the inside and outside temperatures, the lower the energy usage. Every degree that the thermostat is raised can help you save up to 5% in cooling costs.
• Avoid using appliances such as the washer, dryer and dishwasher during the day. If possible, delay using those appliances until evening.
• Close blinds and curtains during the day to help reduce solar heat gain and keep the home cooler.
• Microwaves and cooktops use less energy than electric ovens. Also consider outdoor grilling during those high-demand hours to keep indoor temperatures lower.
• Using a ceiling fan can make a room feel up to 4 degrees cooler than it actually is. Remember though, fans cool people, not rooms, so turn them off when leaving the room.
• Turn off any unnecessary appliances, unused plug-ins and lights.
• Make sure cool air isn’t escaping by checking windows, doors and vents for air leaks. Caulk seal, and weatherstripping to block leaks, which can help save 10% to 20% in cooling cost.
• Operate ceiling fans in a counterclockwise direction in the summer, which pushes cooler air back down into the room. If air conditioning is being used to cool the home, a ceiling fan will allow the thermostat to be raised about four degrees – typically with no reduction in comfort.

Duke Energy provides about 6,800 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 900,000 customers in a 23,000 square mile service area, making it Indiana's largest electric supplier. For more information on how to cut back on energy costs, please visit www.duke-energy.com/home/billing/seasonal-bills.

Use caution when hiring a home improvement contractor, especially following a major storm, flood , or weather event, when many homeowners are trying to repair their homes. However, contractor scams can happen anytime, so be wary of high-pressure sales tactics, upfront fees, and fly-by-night businesses. Con artists will take homeowners’ money and deliver (or not deliver) less than quality work.

How the scam works:

Home improvement scams can start with a knock on the door, a flyer, or an ad. The contractor may offer a low price or a short timeframe. One common hook is when the scammer claims to be working in your neighborhood on another project and has leftover supplies.

Once started, a rogue contractor may "find" issues that significantly raise the price. If you object, they threaten to walk away and leave a half-finished project. Or they may accept your upfront deposit and never return to do the job. Following a natural disaster, scammers persuade homeowners to sign over their insurance payments.

One consumer shared the following experience with BBB Scam Tracker: "He requested for cash to purchase the materials. He came to pick up the cash and said he would schedule the day & time to do the job. After numerous exchanges of text messages promising to find me a schedule he couldn't come up with one. If he did he wouldn't show up at such time. I then asked for a refund which he agreed to do but never showed up again."

Tips to spot this scam:

Watch out for "red flags." Say no to cash-only deals, high-pressure sales tactics, high upfront payments, handshake deals without a contract, and on-site inspections. Not all “storm chasers” are con artists, but enough are that you should be cautious any time a home contractor contacts you first…especially after a natural disaster.

Ask for references and check them out. Bad contractors will be reluctant to share this information, and scammers won’t wait for you to do your homework. If you can, get references from past customers, both older references to check on the quality of the work and newer references to ensure current employees are up to the task. Check them out at BBB.org to see what other customers have experienced. And always get a written contract with the price, materials, and timeline. The more detail, the better.

Know the law. Work with local businesses that have proper identification, licensing, and insurance. Confirm that your vendor will get related permits, and make sure you know who is responsible for what according to your local laws and that your vendor is ready to comply.

Visit BBB's home improvement HQ to make your next project a success.

To report a scam, go to BBB Scam Tracker.