DCFS Announces Charles Watkins as New Assistant Secretary for Family Support, Launching Major Effort to Improve Child Support Outcomes

BATON ROUGE, LA - Today, the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) announced the appointment of Charles Watkins as the new Assistant Secretary for Family Support, where he will oversee Child Support Enforcement and Access and Visitation programs. His appointment comes at a critical moment for the department, following the release of a recent audit ranking Louisiana at the bottom nationally in child support collections.

Watkins is a native of New Orleans and graduate of Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University. He has practiced law for over 10 years in Georgia, New York, and Louisiana as a trial attorney and in support of government agencies, most recently serving as a Regional Attorney for the Louisiana Department of Health.

Having spent his career in public service, Watkins brings extensive legal expertise and a record of strengthening systems. In his new role, he will implement a comprehensive strategy to transform child support outcomes for Louisiana’s children.

Watkins will immediately begin work on several priority initiatives, including:

• Strengthening partnerships with District Attorneys across the state, who are contracted to handle child support proceedings.
• Conducting a national survey of effective legal and operational strategies used by other states to increase collections.
• Evaluating internal operations to streamline processes, improve performance, and remove barriers to timely and consistent child support.
• Developing a statewide fatherhood engagement strategy to support, equip, and re-engage fathers in the emotional and financial wellbeing of their children.

“When both parents contribute to a child’s life, outcomes improve and the likelihood of involvement in child welfare significantly decreases,” said DCFS Secretary Rebecca Harris. “We will not accept being last in the nation. Charles brings the focus, determination, and legal expertise we need to rebuild this program and deliver for Louisiana’s children.”

Watkins is honored to join DCFS at a pivotal time.

“Louisiana’s children deserve our very best," Watkins said. "I look forward to partnering with district attorneys, courts, and communities across the state to improve outcomes and ensure that child support is consistent, fair, and effective.”