About DCFS
Safe Children
Safety is the reason we exist. The mission of the Division of Child and Family Services is to keep children safe from abuse and neglect through the strengthening of families.
Strengthened Families
A child’s physical and emotional well-being largely exists within the context of the adults in their life. When a family is strengthened through individualized, trauma-informed, community-based services that are both safety driven and family driven, an environment that promotes child safety and well-being is created.
Supported Workforce
Our most important resource in achieving success with children and families is our staff. They enter the lives of children and families at times of crisis and vulnerability. The professionalism and skill of our staff in engaging, teaming, assessing, planning, and intervening with children and families are essential to good outcomes. Due to the complex and critical nature of child welfare, our community expects and deserves a well trained, experienced, ethical, compassionate, and supported workforce.
Integrated Service Community
DCFS is not the child welfare system — we are the child welfare agency within a much larger social service continuum. Our ability to provide timely, effective, and extensive services to our most vulnerable populations is integrated within a robust network of legal partners and private and public community providers. We also provide Domestic Violence Services.
Our Practice Model
Quality outcomes are most often realized when children and families are engaged with a service organization offering an array of services by qualified and committed staff. It is the aim of our Practice Model to create such an environment – staffed by the best child welfare professionals in the nation.