Locations
Indiana
Statistics on children, youth and families in Indiana from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Indiana Youth Institute
- Detailed
- Sort / Rank

Definition and Source
PROVIDER
Definition
A child in need of services (CHINS) is a child, prior to his or her 18th birthday, who is experiencing one or more of the following conditions and the situation is unlikely to be
remedied without the coercive intervention of the court. Broadly, the conditions that allow for a CHINS designation include:
• abuse;
• neglect;
• sexual abuse;
• a child substantially endangering his or her own health, or the health of another individual;
• the child’s parent, guardian, or custodian fails to participate in a school disciplinary proceeding;
• the child is a “missing child”;
• the child is disabled and deprived of necessary nutrition or medical intervention;
• the child is born with fetal alcohol syndrome, neonatal abstinence syndrome, or with any amount of controlled substance, a legend drug, or a metabolite of a controlled substance or legend drug in the child’s body;
• the child has an injury, abnormal physical, or psychological development; symptoms of neonatal intoxication or withdrawal; or experiences risks or injuries from the
mother’s use of alcohol, controlled substance, or legend drug during pregnancy.
remedied without the coercive intervention of the court. Broadly, the conditions that allow for a CHINS designation include:
• abuse;
• neglect;
• sexual abuse;
• a child substantially endangering his or her own health, or the health of another individual;
• the child’s parent, guardian, or custodian fails to participate in a school disciplinary proceeding;
• the child is a “missing child”;
• the child is disabled and deprived of necessary nutrition or medical intervention;
• the child is born with fetal alcohol syndrome, neonatal abstinence syndrome, or with any amount of controlled substance, a legend drug, or a metabolite of a controlled substance or legend drug in the child’s body;
• the child has an injury, abnormal physical, or psychological development; symptoms of neonatal intoxication or withdrawal; or experiences risks or injuries from the
mother’s use of alcohol, controlled substance, or legend drug during pregnancy.
Data Source
Indiana Department of Child Services
Last Updated
June 2025