Kids' Voice of Indiana

For more than 40 years, Kids’ Voice has advocated for children involved in the legal system, ensuring their voices are heard and their best interests are protected. Kids’ Voice works at both the direct service and systems-change levels, allowing us to meet the immediate needs of children and youth while improving outcomes across Indiana. The need for our services continues to grow. Our current caseload is the highest it has been in six years, and the number of children served increased by 10% from 2024 to 2025, representing nearly 500 additional children. This growing demand is driven in part by domestic violence, substance use, housing instability, and other challenges facing vulnerable families.

Currently, 94% of Kids’ Voice’s budget is restricted to specific programs or grants. Because caseloads fluctuate and every child has unique needs, flexible funding is essential to ensure timely, individualized advocacy and lasting impact for vulnerable children and families.

ADVOCATE: The Guardian ad Litem/Court Appointed Special Advocate (GAL/CASA) Program amplifies the voices of children involved in the Marion County family court system. This program is appointed to all children in Child in Need of Services (CHINS) cases due to abuse or neglect, many of whom are living with caregivers other than their parents or in foster care. The court also appoints our program in high-conflict custody, guardianship, and adoption cases. When appointed in those cases, 98% of children served do not become involved in the child welfare system, preventing additional trauma and reducing strain on public systems. Our program includes two specialized teams: 1) Educational Liaisons support children’s educational and social-emotional success through collaboration with schools, counselors, service providers, and families, and 2) the Older Youth Initiatives team provides specialized support for youth in foster care transitioning to adulthood. In 2025, 99% of youth served had no juvenile court case filed, 99% were not expelled or suspended from school, and 100% of eligible youth graduated from high school. More than 500 volunteer advocates support our dedicated staff.

EDUCATE: The Children’s Law Center of Indiana (CLCI) serves as a statewide resource dedicated to improving outcomes for children through training, legal research, publications, and system support. CLCI publishes the Indiana CHINS and Family Law Deskbook, a comprehensive reference used by attorneys, judges, GALs, CASA volunteers, and child-serving professionals across the state. The center provides legal research assistance, develops case law summaries and practice materials, delivers training on child and family law, offers legal support to GAL/CASA programs statewide, and operates a free-to-low-cost Parenting Coordination Clinic to help families resolve high-conflict parenting disputes outside of court.

PROTECT: Through our Supervised Parenting Time (SPT) Program, Kids’ Voice of Indiana provides a location for children and parents to maintain contact when safety concerns, family conflict, or other circumstances require supervision. Trained staff monitor interactions, document visits, and ensure compliance with court expectations while maintaining a safe, neutral, and child-focused environment. The program supports ongoing parent-child relationships while prioritizing children’s physical and emotional safety and promoting respectful, professional interactions among all participants.