High-profile child deaths spark push for welfare agency transparency

By: Robbie Sequeira

Outlets: Stateline

Published: June 1, 2026

Words: 1,670

Last Updated: 6 days, 15 hours ago

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After two 5-year-old Indianapolis girls separately died from abuse in the last two years, Indiana Republican state Rep. Julie McGuire said lawmakers could not get basic answers from the state agency responsible for the safety of children.

Kinsleigh Welty had been known to the child welfare system before she was found, starving, in a closet in 2024, McGuire told Stateline. The girl died soon after. And Zara Arnold’s death last May raised questions on what …

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