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DCS  > Overview > Director's Biography Director's Biography

    Judge James W. Payne

James W. Payne, Judge, Director
Indiana Department of Child Services

 

A graduate of DePauw University and the Indiana University Law School, James Payne is currently the Director of the Indiana Department of Child Services. He was appointed by Governor Mitch Daniels in 2004 to head up the newly created Department of Child Services.  DCS is an agency with 3,000 employees responsible for child protection services and child support.  DCS is receiving national recognition for its efforts to improve child protection in Indiana and its CFSR results demonstrate that.  Prior to being appointed by Governor Daniels he served the last 20 years as the Juvenile Court Judge in Marion County, Indiana.  During that tenure he was responsible for the development of case management software for juvenile justice and many statewide and national award winning programs.
 
Judge Payne speaks frequently around the country on issues of delinquency, abuse and neglect, case management and juvenile justice practice and policy.  He has served on many Boards and Executive Committees developing Juvenile Court policy both in Indiana and throughout the Country.  Judge Payne was featured in a Dateline NBC and MSNBC special “For Their Own Good”, a documentary addressing child abuse and neglect cases in the Marion County Juvenile Court.  This involved allowing cameras to record the hearings and events of abuse and neglect cases and explaining to the public the efforts provided by Courts and the system to protect children, preserve families and provide permanency.
 
A member of many associations including the Child Welfare League of America, American Public Human Services Association and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, Judge Payne has also received numerous awards including the Distinguished Hoosier Award from the Indiana Governor’s Office and the Juvenile Court Judge of the Year award for the State of Indiana. 
 
He has served as a Council Member of the NIAAA, National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.  He has also served on an advisory committee for the Federal Government to review the Children and Family Services Review, CFSR.  CFSR is the major initiative to improve the child welfare system in each state and to measure that improvement in tangible and measurable outcomes.  CFSR is the single most important initiative driving the system to improve itself.  Indiana will be a leader in its outcome improvements. 
 
Judge Payne is married to Terrie, his wife of 42 years.  They have two children and five grandchildren.