Terry Stigdon, MSN, RN

Director, Indiana Department of Child Services

Terry Stigdon, MSN, RN, was appointed as director of the Indiana Department of Child Services in early 2018 as part of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s sweeping reform of the state’s child welfare agency. In her first year in her new position, Stigdon has implemented changes aimed at offering the best service to Hoosier children and families. As a result of her efforts to provide the right care to the right child at the right time, the state has seen a decrease in children in residential treatment and foster care. Her leadership has also led to decreased staff turnover, resulting in better continuity of care for families involved in the child welfare system. When Stigdon joined the Department of Child Services, she was uniquely qualified to understand the mission ahead. Prior to her appointment, she spent nearly 20 years at Riley Hospital for Children. Her work took her to the pediatric intensive care unit as well as the emergency medicine and trauma center; there, she saw firsthand what can happen in the most serious cases of child neglect and abuse. Stigdon, a Chicago native, holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing as well as a master’s degree in nursing leadership and management.