Sec. 1. It is the policy of this state and the purpose of
this title to:
(1) recognize the importance of family and children in our society,
including the parenting rights of a parent, regardless of whether
the parent has a disability;
(2) recognize the responsibility of the state to enhance the
viability of children and family in our society;
(3) acknowledge the responsibility each person owes to the other;
(4) recognize the responsibility of the state and of the department
of child services for the safety of children who are abused or
neglected;
(5) strengthen family life by assisting parents to fulfill their
parental obligations while recognizing that a parent's interest in
receiving services at the time and expense of the state for
purposes of reunification is limited as set forth in IC 31-34-20-1.6;
(6) promote the safety of all children involved in the juvenile
justice system and ensure that children within the juvenile justice
system are treated as persons in need of care, protection,
treatment, and rehabilitation;
(7) remove children from families only when it is in the child's
best interest or in the best interest of public safety;
(8) ensure timely placement of children in foster care into
permanent homes;
(9) make reasonable efforts to support and facilitate two-way
communication between a child's parent or parents and any
licensed foster parent or kinship caregiver caring for the child
following removal by the department of child services;
(10) provide for adoption as a viable permanency plan for
children who are adjudicated children in need of services;
(11) provide a juvenile justice system that protects the public by
enforcing the legal obligations that children have to society and
society has to children;
(12) use diversionary programs when appropriate;
(13) provide a judicial procedure that:
(A) ensures fair hearings;
(B) recognizes and enforces the legal rights of children and
their parents; and
(C) recognizes and enforces the accountability of children and
parents;
(14) promote public safety and individual accountability by the
imposition of appropriate sanctions; and
(15) provide a continuum of services developed in a cooperative
effort by local governments and the state.
[Pre-1997 Recodification Citation: 31-6-1-1.1.]
As added by P.L.1-1997, SEC.2. Amended by P.L.35-1998,
SEC.3; P.L.146-2021, SEC.4; P.L.45-2024, SEC.1; P.L.179-2025,
SEC.6.
Notes of Decisions
State Ex Rel. W.A. v. Marion Cnty. Superior Court, 704 N.E.2d 477 (Ind. 1998).
· cites it 20× “In a different case, I think that we could well find, based on the parens patriae history of the Juvenile Code [1] and the purposes clauses contained at Ind.Code § 31-10-2-1 (especially § 31-10-2-1(4), (6), (8) and (9)(C) [2] ), that a juvenile court has inherent authority to…”
K.A. v. State, 775 N.E.2d 382 (Ind. Ct. App. 2002).
· cites it 6× “Those policies are contained in Ind.Code § 31-10-2-1, which provides in pertinent part as follows: It is the policy of this state and the purpose of this title to: (1) recognize the importance of family and children in our society; (5) ensure that children within the juvenile…”
Parmeter v. Cass Cnty. Dep't of Child Servs., 878 N.E.2d 444 (Ind. Ct. App. 2007).
· cites it 2× “” Ind.Code § 31-10-2-1(4), (6). And a mandatory construction would thwart those legislative purposes by requiring dismissal of CHINS cases where continuances of the fact-finding or dispositional hearings are needed for legitimate reasons, such as the unavailability of parties or…”
Morrison v. Sadler, 821 N.E.2d 15 (Ind. Ct. App. 2005).
· cites it 2× “The statutory preamble to the Code listing its policies and purposes includes "recogniz[ing] the importance of family and children in our society," "recogniz[ing] the responsibility of the state to enhance the viability of children and family in our society," and…”
Pinkston v. State, 836 N.E.2d 453 (Ind. Ct. App. 2005).
· cites it 4× “Ind.Code § 31-10-2-1(5). "When the State seeks to *463 have a juvenile adjudicated to be a delinquent for committing an act that would be a crime if committed by an adult, the State must prove every element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.”
In Re the Adoption of A.M., 930 N.E.2d 613 (Ind. Ct. App. 2010).
· cites it 4× “*621 Ind.Code § 31-10-2-1 is titled "Policy and purpose" and provides: It is the policy of this state and the purpose of this title to: (1) recognize the importance of family and children in our society; (2) recognize the responsibility of the state to enhance the viability of…”
N.L. v. State of Indiana, 989 N.E.2d 773 (Ind. 2013).
· cites it 2× “” I.C. § 31-10-2-1(5). “[T]he State’s primary interest [is] rehabilitation, rather than the punishment of juvenile delinquents.”
Walker v. Campbell, 711 N.E.2d 42 (Ind. Ct. App. 1999).
· cites it 4× “Our legislature has expressly stated that this public policy requires the provision of fair judicial procedures which recognize and enforce the legal rights of children and their parents.”
Philson v. State, 899 N.E.2d 14 (Ind. Ct. App. 2008).
· cites it 4× “Ind. Code § 31-10-2-1 (5) & (8). The adult criminal system simply does not provide equivalent protections.”
— Ind. Code § 31-10-2-1(1) — 1 case
— Ind. Code § 31-10-2-1(10) — 4 cases
K.A. v. State, 775 N.E.2d 382 (Ind. Ct. App. 2002).
“Those policies are contained in Ind.Code § 31-10-2-1, which provides in pertinent part as follows: It is the policy of this state and the purpose of this title to: (1) recognize the importance of family and children in our society; (5) ensure that children within the juvenile…”
In Re Jg, 911 N.E.2d 36 (Ind. Ct. App. 2009).
— Ind. Code § 31-10-2-1(10)(A) — 1 case
Walker v. Campbell, 711 N.E.2d 42 (Ind. Ct. App. 1999).
“Our legislature has expressly stated that this public policy requires the provision of fair judicial procedures which recognize and enforce the legal rights of children and their parents.”
— Ind. Code § 31-10-2-1(11) — 4 cases
— Ind. Code § 31-10-2-1(2) — 1 case
State Ex Rel. W.A. v. Marion Cnty. Superior Court, 704 N.E.2d 477 (Ind. 1998).
“In a different case, I think that we could well find, based on the parens patriae history of the Juvenile Code [1] and the purposes clauses contained at Ind.Code § 31-10-2-1 (especially § 31-10-2-1(4), (6), (8) and (9)(C) [2] ), that a juvenile court has inherent authority to…”
— Ind. Code § 31-10-2-1(4) — 3 cases
Parmeter v. Cass Cnty. Dep't of Child Servs., 878 N.E.2d 444 (Ind. Ct. App. 2007).
“” Ind.Code § 31-10-2-1(4), (6). And a mandatory construction would thwart those legislative purposes by requiring dismissal of CHINS cases where continuances of the fact-finding or dispositional hearings are needed for legitimate reasons, such as the unavailability of parties or…”
Walker v. Campbell, 711 N.E.2d 42 (Ind. Ct. App. 1999).
“Our legislature has expressly stated that this public policy requires the provision of fair judicial procedures which recognize and enforce the legal rights of children and their parents.”
State Ex Rel. W.A. v. Marion Cnty. Superior Court, 704 N.E.2d 477 (Ind. 1998).
“In a different case, I think that we could well find, based on the parens patriae history of the Juvenile Code [1] and the purposes clauses contained at Ind.Code § 31-10-2-1 (especially § 31-10-2-1(4), (6), (8) and (9)(C) [2] ), that a juvenile court has inherent authority to…”
— Ind. Code § 31-10-2-1(5) — 30 cases
Pinkston v. State, 836 N.E.2d 453 (Ind. Ct. App. 2005).
“Ind.Code § 31-10-2-1(5). "When the State seeks to *463 have a juvenile adjudicated to be a delinquent for committing an act that would be a crime if committed by an adult, the State must prove every element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.”
N.L. v. State of Indiana, 989 N.E.2d 773 (Ind. 2013).
“” I.C. § 31-10-2-1(5). “[T]he State’s primary interest [is] rehabilitation, rather than the punishment of juvenile delinquents.”
— Ind. Code § 31-10-2-1(6) — 1 case
State Ex Rel. W.A. v. Marion Cnty. Superior Court, 704 N.E.2d 477 (Ind. 1998).
“In a different case, I think that we could well find, based on the parens patriae history of the Juvenile Code [1] and the purposes clauses contained at Ind.Code § 31-10-2-1 (especially § 31-10-2-1(4), (6), (8) and (9)(C) [2] ), that a juvenile court has inherent authority to…”
— Ind. Code § 31-10-2-1(9)(B)(C) — 1 case
State Ex Rel. W.A. v. Marion Cnty. Superior Court, 704 N.E.2d 477 (Ind. 1998).
“In a different case, I think that we could well find, based on the parens patriae history of the Juvenile Code [1] and the purposes clauses contained at Ind.Code § 31-10-2-1 (especially § 31-10-2-1(4), (6), (8) and (9)(C) [2] ), that a juvenile court has inherent authority to…”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.