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Tuesday, December 14, 2004

Indiana Government - Judge Payne expected to take over child welfare system

"Judge expected to take over child welfare system" is the headline to this story this afternoon on the Indianapolis Star website. Some quotes:

Marion County Juvenile Court Judge James Payne said in an email to his staff that he will be named the new Director of the Indiana Department of Child Services, previously known as the Division of Family Services.

Gov.-elect Mitch Daniels is expected to make the announcement this afternoon at a 2 p.m. news conference. * * *

Payne is serving his fourth six-year term as judge of the Marion County juvenile court. Daniels will have to appoint a replacement to fill the remainder of Payne's judicial term.

[More] This announcement was released in mid-afternoon via the Daniels' transition website:
Mitch Daniels Announces Fundamental Breakup of FSSA: Nationally Renowned Child Advocate Named Director of Dept. of Child Services

INDIANAPOLIS - Today Governor-elect Mitch Daniels addressed two major problems in Indiana and fulfilled two campaign reform pledges by announcing plans to move Child Protection Services and the Child Support Bureau from the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) into a freestanding cabinet level agency, reporting directly to the Governor.

According to the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement, Indiana ranks 43rd in the country in collection of child support - collecting only about half the dollars owed. In the area of child protection, a report quoted over the weekend by the Northwest Indiana Times showed Indiana ranked high in the number of substantiated cases of child mistreatment, neglect, and abuse. Many media reports in recent years have also documented cases where the current system has failed to protect children.

"Kids who need the state's protection must have it, without exception, and kids who are entitled to financial support must receive it, every dollar," said Governor-elect Daniels. "We said we would reform government to attack Indiana's failures in this area and we will."

The Governor-elect named Marion County Juvenile Court Judge James W. Payne as Director of the new Indiana Department of Child Services.

"Leadership in this area is even more important than structure," said Governor-elect Daniels. "Judge Jim Payne is the best person, period, for these twin tasks to which I attach maximum importance."

Judge Payne, 58, has 20 years experience on the bench of the Marion County Juvenile Court. In this capacity, Judge Payne developed innovative programs to support troubled youth and families while stressing personal responsibility. Judge Payne's work has been nationally recognized and he has lectured in 47 states about youth and family issues. Payne also serves as a reviewer of the Children and Family Service Reviews on behalf of the federal government.

"I am excited about the possibility for change in our state in improving the way government responds to the crisis of children and families in our communities," said Judge Payne. "Mitch speaks frequently about the importance of young people in our future and I am honored he charged me with ensuring that our children enjoy the greatest opportunity to realize their full potential."

During Judge Payne's term, the Juvenile Court in Marion County has been selected as a Model Court Site for abuse and neglect cases and one of the few courts in the nation currently serving as a Juvenile Re-entry Court through a Federal grant. He has also created and implemented new juvenile facilities and programs such as: new Marion County Juvenile Justice Center, community based probation units, Runaway unit, Youth Center, New Directions Academy (an alternative discipline school), home detention and monitoring system, parental participation program, and various community clean up programs.

Updated Organization Chart. Check here for a newly updated organization chart.

[Update 4:00 pm] The AP is now reporting here that:

The new agency will not technically become its own cabinet-level department until it is appropriated funding in a new state budget, but Payne said he would immediately set about the task of reforming the state's efforts to protect children and ensure they receive support from absent parents.

"Everything is on the table," Payne said during a Daniels news conference at a daycare center in downtown Indianapolis.

Daniels said Payne and Mitchell Roob Jr., the governor-elect's appointee to direct FSSA, would work together separating the child support and protection aspects from the larger agency into the new one.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on December 14, 2004 02:27 PM
Posted to Indiana Government