The employee allegedly falsified reports and forged parent signatures.
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(Ripley County, Ind.) – A former Indiana Department of Child Service employee assigned to Ripley County has been charged for allegedly falsifying family visits and forging signatures of parents.
On April 11, the Indiana Office of Inspector General received a complaint from the Indiana Department of Child Services alleging that a former DCS employee, Todd Click, submitted official reports in his role as a Family Case Manager to the DCS case management system “Management Gateway for Indiana Kids”.
According to DCS, those reports contained false information of family visits and DCS documents with forged signatures of parents/caregivers.
Investigators say Click was employed by DCS as a Family Case Manager assigned to Ripley County from July 9, 2023, through March 2, 2024, when he resigned.
Part of Click’s responsibilities as an assessment worker is to complete an assessment of alleged child abuse and/or neglect. The process is completed to ensure the safety and well-being of a child alleged to be a victim.
According to a probable cause affidavit, investigators found that Click falsified at least 10 entries and forged the signatures of parents/caregivers on at least seven DCS forms required during the assessment process.
Click is charged with Official Misconduct (Level 6 Felony), Forgery (Level 6 Felony), and Obstruction of a Child Abuse Assessment (Class A Misdemeanor).
He is due in Ripley County court this morning.
“While I have no information that his complete disregard for DCS policy and children safety caused any actual harm, there crimes put at least fiver Ripley County families and 11 children in danger because he failed to perform his duties as he was trained,” reads an excerpt from the probable cause affidavit.