CHINS (Child in Need of Services)

In times like this, it is crucial to understand your rights and to have a lawyer who knows how to fight to protect your child and your family’s rights at every stage. Indiana’s child welfare laws are technical, the timelines are short, and early choices - what you say, what you sign, what you agree to - can have lasting consequences for you and your child. 

At Jones Law Office, we recognize that a CHINS case is about far more than allegations on paper - it is about your child, your family, and your future. Led in CHINS matters by Attorney Ashley Mills Colborn, our team combines compassion with deep experience in Indiana CHINS courts to protect your parental rights and your relationship with your child. 

Attorney Ashley Mills Colborn 

Attorney Ashley Mills Colborn serves as the lead CHINS attorney at Jones Law Office and focuses a significant part of her practice on representing parents in DCS and CHINS matters. 

Before joining the firm, Attorney Ashley Mills Colborn spent more than six years as the Child in Need of Services Magistrate for the St. Joseph Probate Court. In that role, she presided daily over CHINS, permanency, and child welfare cases, making decisions about children’s safety, placements, and parental rights across the community. 

That judicial experience gives Attorney Ashley Mills Colborn a perspective that is both rare and invaluable in CHINS work. She understands: 

• How judges evaluate CHINS petitions and evidence 
• What courts look for when deciding whether a child can safely remain at home or return home 
• How case plans and permanency goals are developed, monitored, and modified
• When and why the State may pursue Termination of Parental Rights 

Few attorneys have seen the CHINS system from as many angles - or as closely - as Attorney Ashley Mills Colborn. When you work with her and the team at Jones Law Office, you have an advocate who knows exactly how these cases are analyzed from the bench, and who uses that insight to prepare your case with care and precision. 

• CHINS cases involving allegations of abuse or neglect 
• Emergency removals and detention hearings 
• Ongoing DCS involvement and case plans 
• Permanency and placement disputes 
• Related Termination of Parental Rights actions 

What Is a CHINS Case in Indiana? 

A CHINS case is a juvenile court proceeding in which the State alleges that a child’s well-being is at risk and asks the court to intervene. 

Under Indiana Code 31-34, a child may be found to be a CHINS if the child is abused, neglected, deprived of necessary care, or placed in a dangerous situation. Indiana law recognizes eleven primary CHINS categories, including: 

• Serious neglect of basic needs 
• Serious physical abuse or endangerment 
• Sexual abuse or exploitation 
• Participation in an obscene performance 
• Parent allows child to commit sex offense 
• Child seriously endangering own or others’ health 
• Parent fails to participate in school discipline 
• Missing child 
• Disabled child denied life-sustaining care 
• Child born affected by drugs or alcohol 
• Prenatal substance use causing injury or serious risk

From the moment a report is made, DCS and the State have professionals and attorneys working on their side. Parents are often left to navigate the process for the first time, under intense stress and on very short timelines. 

Without your own attorney: 

• You may unknowingly say or sign something that is later used against you 
• You may feel pressured into services or admissions you do not fully understand 
• You may miss deadlines or hearings that have a direct impact on where your child lives 

A CHINS case can result in: 

• Court-ordered services for you and your child 
• Temporary or long-term removal of your child from your home 
• A later Termination of Parental Rights case if your child remains out of the home 

A knowledgeable and experienced CHINS attorney such as Attorney Ashley Mills Colborn will fight to protect your rights, explain what each step means, and advocate for the best outcome for you and your child. 

Every family’s story is different, but most CHINS matters follow a similar path: 

1. Report and DCS Investigation 
   Anyone who suspects abuse or neglect—family, physicians, teachers, neighbors, law enforcement, or others—may make a report. DCS then investigates, interviews you and your child, may visit your home, and may recommend services or remove your child if it is believed that your child is in immediate danger. 
2. CHINS Petition Filed 
   If DCS believes court involvement is necessary, it files a CHINS petition in juvenile court outlining the allegations and the legal basis for the case. 
3. Initial and Detention Hearings 
   The judge explains the allegations and your rights. At the Initial Hearing, you are asked to enter a plea of Admission or Denial. If your child has been removed, the court also considers at a Detention Hearing whether your child may return home or must remain out of the home while the case continues. 
4. Fact-Finding Hearing 
   The State must prove the CHINS allegations with evidence. You have the right to be represented by an attorney, to present evidence, and to cross-examine witnesses. 
5. Dispositional, Review, and Permanency Hearings 
   If your child is found to be a CHINS, the court orders services, such as counseling, parenting classes, or substance abuse treatment, and determines where your child will live. The judge then reviews progress at regular intervals and ultimately decides on a long-term plan, which may include reunification, placement with relatives, or in some cases, Termination of Parental Rights and adoption. 

Timeframes and Long-Term Consequences 
In many cases, if your child has been removed and under DCS supervision for a certain length of time, the State is generally required to ask the court to consider Termination of Parental Rights, unless specific exceptions apply. The legal clock begins to run long before many parents realize it, which is why prompt, informed guidance is so important. 

Having an attorney like Attorney Ashley Mills Colborn involved early in this process can significantly influence both the direction and outcome of your case. 

• The right to a prompt detention hearing if your child is removed, and to ask the court to return your child 
• The right to receive notice of hearings and key court documents, including the CHINS petition, court orders, and case plans 
• The right to be represented by an attorney at every stage of the case 
• The right to know and challenge the allegations made against you 
• The right to present evidence and call witnesses in your defense 
• The right not to make incriminating statements 
• The right to participate in developing the case plan and services designed to address the court’s concerns 
• The right to work toward reunification with your child, consistent with court orders and statutory timeframes 

At Jones Law Office, we take the time to ensure you understand these rights, how they apply to your case, and how to use them to protect your child and your family. 

Contact the Attorneys at Jones Law Office 
If DCS has contacted you, removed your child, or filed a CHINS petition, you do not have to face this alone. Early legal guidance can make a meaningful difference in protecting you and your child.

Call Jones Law Office at (574) 239-7017 or fill out the form to schedule a free, confidential consultation with Attorney Ashley Mills Colborn today.