INDIANAPOLIS — The new director at the Indiana Department of Child Services says the agency is “ripe and ready for change.”
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Governor Mike Braun appointed Jennifer Dorfmeyer to take over as head of the 3rd largest state agency.
WRTV Investigates Kara Kenney spoke with Dorfmeyer on-camera on her first day on the job.
- WRTV: What’s your number one goal at DCS?
- Dorfmeyer: My number one goal is to ensure that we have a home for every child and that there’s a safe and loving place for all Hoosier children.
- WRTV: What do you want people to know about you and DCS?
- Dorfmeyer: I want people to know I’m a human, that DCS staff are human beings, we are parents, we are foster parents, adoptive parents. We care deeply about children. We want what is best for our most vulnerable Hoosiers
Dorfmeyer worked at DCS from 2003 to 2014 as a family case manager, family case manager supervisor and an executive role.
She returned in June 2025 as deputy commissioner, and from mid- January to mid-April 2026, she served as the interim director while director Adam Krupp took a leave of absence.
“My initial impression is that they are ripe and ready for change,” said Dorfmeyer. “We have a lot of amazing staff.”
DCS currently has more than 4,000 employees.
Adam Krupp will continue to earn his $210,000 salary as a special advisor to the Governor on child welfare issues, WRTV Investigates has learned.
As DCS director, she will also earn a salary of $210,000.
“Indiana’s children are our future and our most precious resource. I am grateful for Adam Krupp’s service and the changes he has made to improve DCS. I have every confidence in Jennifer and her ability to lead this important work at such a critical agency,” said Gov. Mike Braun.
Child advocacy groups are concerned about turnover at DCS among staff and leadership.
“DCS is important because they are the front line for keeping kids safe,” said Kathleen Moman, Director of Communications at Champions for Children. “We’ve had a lot of director turnover. It’s an incredibly difficult job to manage.”
In our WRTV Investigates special, “Kids in Our Care: Pressing for Change”, we told you that in fiscal year 2024, the turnover rate was 37% among family case managers, up from 33% in 2023.
Moman said Champions for Children, a nonprofit advocacy group, is excited to work with Dorfmeyer.
“She's been working with DCS for many years,” said Moman. “She's also an adoptive parent of a child from the system herself, so we're excited to see someone step into leadership that has experience within the system.”
Moman said DCS needs to improve on child safety.
“A lot of times we hear the priority of DCS is reunification,” said Moman. “The priority for DCS should not be reunification or adoption. It should be child safety. I have yet to see a leadership that really takes that stance seriously.”
Jennifer Dorfmeyer said it’s one of many issues she’s evaluating.
“We are always assessing the work we are doing and how can we keep kids safer and reach permanency faster and make sure we have a home for every child,” said Dorfmeyer.
Dorfmeyer will oversee implementation of several new child welfare laws.
HEA 1036 will require DCS case workers to see a child in person within 30 days of closing a case.
Another new law says that within five days of a child’s death or near-death from abuse or neglect, DCS is required to publicly report any current or past involvement with the child.
Currently, DCS shares an annual fatality report, but critics say the release of the report is delayed a year.
For example, the agency just released the 2024 Annual Report of Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities in Indiana.
Starting July 1, DCS must share public summaries on child fatalities throughout the year, including any actions taken by DCS in response to a child’s case.
DCS will also have to overhaul its annual fatality report.
RELATED | Kids in Our Care: Pressing for Change
DCS will also include the names of judges involved with cases where a child ended up dying from abuse or neglect.
You can contact Investigative Reporter Kara Kenney at Kara.Kenney@wrtv.com.
