"Destitute child"
Ind. Code § 12-7-2.1-117
in effectSec. 117. (a) "Destitute child", for purposes of the statutes listed in subsection (b), means an individual:
(1) who is needy;
(2) who is not a public ward;
(3) who is less than eighteen (18) years of age;
(4) who has been deprived of parental support or care because of a parent's:
(A) death;
(B) continued absence from the home; or
(C) physical or mental incapacity;
(5) whose relatives liable for the individual's support are not able to provide adequate care or support for the individual without public assistance; and
(6) who is in need of foster care, under circumstances that do not require the individual to be made a public ward.
(b) This section applies to the following statutes:
(1) IC 12-13.
(2) IC 12-14.
(3) IC 12-15.
(4) IC 12-19.
As added by P.L.145-2026, SEC.63.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://iga.in.gov/laws/2026/ic/titles/12Fetched: 10/17/2026