INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The former director of Indiana’s child welfare agency is joining the state attorney general’s staff nearly a month after she quit her state post while accusing Gov. Eric Holcomb’s administration of hurting her ability to protect children.
Attorney General Curtis Hill’s office announced Wednesday that Mary Beth Bonaventura will join his staff next week as special counsel. He said in a statement that Bonaventura’s “breadth of experience and depth of knowledge” will benefit Indiana’s citizens.
The former Lake County juvenile judge was appointed Department of Child Services director in 2013 by then-Gov. Mike Pence.
She resigned in December. Bonaventura accused Holcomb’s administration in a scathing resignation letter of management changes and service cuts that “all but ensure children will die” amid surging child welfare cases spurred by opioid abuse.
