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Office of the Secretary

The Office of the Secretary supervises, manages, and supports the Division of Management and Finance, Division of Child Welfare and the Division of Family Support within the Department of Children and Family Services. The Office of the Secretary exercises supervision and control over all functions, staff, and services within DCFS and directly supervises Emergency Preparedness, Communications and Governmental Affairs, Bureau of Audit and Compliance Services and the General Counsel.

DCFS Divisions:

Division of Child Welfare - Works to protect children against abuse and/or neglect, find permanent homes for Louisiana's foster children and to educate the public on Safe Sleep and Louisiana's Safe Haven Law.
Division of Family Support - Assists families with needed assistance programs through Economic Stability with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP - formerly Food Stamps), Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP), and the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP), Child Support Enforcement services, Disability Determination Services and Workforce Development.

The following are entities within the Office of the Secretary:

Audit and Compliance Services - Independently appraises activities of DCFS.
Communications - Coordinates all public and media relations.
Emergency Preparedness - Provides planning and implementation for DCFS' ESF-6 Emergency Response duties.
General Counsel - Provides legal services and counsel on litigation. Also includes the Bureau of Civil Rights, which ensures that equal access and delivery of services and equal employment opportunities exist in all activities administered by DCFS.
Governmental Affairs - Serves as liaison between the department and lawmakers, other state agencies.

Office of the Secretary Directory