Janice is married with three children. She lives in Parkdale, and was born and grew up in Highett. After attending local schools, Janice studied Economics and Politics at Monash University.

Having lived and worked in the local area for many years, Janice has an extensive knowledge of the concerns of local people. Before being elected in November 2002, and re-elected in 2006, Janice held positions on many local committees involved with education, health and the environment and has worked in a variety of fields.

Since being elected to represent the electorate of Mordialloc in the Victorian State Parliament, Janice has fulfilled a number of roles. From 2002-2006 Janice served on the Parliamentary and Caucus Committees for Education. In 2007 Janice was elected co-convener of Women's Caucus, and also served on the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee from 2007 to 2010. In 2010, Janice was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Health.