CROWN POINT – A juvenile court judge says she needs more time to wrap up her cases before taking over as the director of Indiana’s Department of Child Services.

Lake Juvenile Court Judge Mary Beth Bonaventura had been scheduled to start next Friday, but the Times reports she is delaying her departure from the bench for a few weeks.

Bonaventura says she has a case she can’t hand off to magistrates and asked Gov. Mike Pence’s office if she could delay her start with the state.

Bonaventura has been a leader in statewide efforts to improve the lives of children. She will take over an agency roiled by news investigations into its handling of abuse and neglect cases after several children died in troubled homes that had been reported to it.