Providing Support, Consultation, and Advocacy for the office of Family and Children and The Children of our Community

What Role Does the Child Protection Team Play in Our Community?

• The Child Protection Team (CPT) reviews all reports of child abuse and neglect and makes recommendations to Child Protection Services (CPS).
• The CPT acts as a multi-disciplinary consulting body to (CPS).
• The CPT addresses complaints regarding responsibilities of CPS pertaining to specified cases.
• The CPT advocates for the rights of children.
• The CPT promotes community education and public awareness of child abuse and neglect issues.
• The CPT is supplemented by the Child Fatality review Team.

How are complaints addressed?

• Citizens should verbally address complaints first to the CPS worker, then to the CPS supervisor, and then to the OFC director.
• If not resolved, the citizen should address the complaint to the CPT coordinator, Kris Pate at Dunebrook, in writing within 60 days after receiving a response from the OFC director.
• The CPT members will determine whether or not a hearing will be held and respond to the complainant.

What constitutes child abuse or neglect?

• Physical Abuse is any non accidental injury to a child caused by a parent or caregiver resulting in or threatening serious injury.
• Neglect is the failure of a parent or caregiver to provide a child with adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, emotional nurturance, education, or supervision.
• Sexual Abuse is when one or more individuals use a child in a sexual way for his or her own gratification.

What is you responsibility?

Anyone who knows or suspects that a child may be abused or neglected is required by law to make a report to Child Protection Service. In other words, you don’t have to know for sure that the abuse actually took place to report it. Reporting laws provide immunity from civil and criminal liability if the report was made in good faith.

What else can you do to help?

Reach out to help by volunteering in one of the many local family support agencies or just be a good friend or neighbor. Often lending a hand or offering a kind word can have a very positive impact on an over-burdened or stressed-out caregiver.

The team consists of multi-disciplinary, community members as specified in Indiana Code 31-9-2-129

To report child abuse or neglect call:

LaPorte- (219) 326-9617
Michigan City- (219) 872-8440 or 1-800-800-5556

For more information on the LaPorte County Child Protection Team, please call:

The Office of Family and Children
LaPorte- 326-5870
Michigan City- 879-5351