The New Jersey Department of Children and Families is the state’s first comprehensive agency dedicated to ensuring the safety, well-being and success of children, youth, families and communities. Our vision is to ensure a better today and even a greater tomorrow for every individual we serve.
Created in July 2006, we are the first Cabinet-level department devoted exclusively to serving and safeguarding the most vulnerable children and families of our state. Since that time, the agency has evolved to be more inclusive of the voice of the individuals it was established to serve. Currently, DCF is staffed by approximately 6,600 employees and encompasses:
Adolescent Services
Centralized Child Abuse/Neglect Hotline
Child Protection and Permanency (formerly Youth and Family Services)
Children's System of Care (formerly Child Behavioral Health Services)
Child Welfare Training Academy
Family and Community Partnerships (formerly Prevention and Community Partnerships)
Institutional Abuse Investigation Unit
Office of Licensing
Specialized Education Services
Women (transferred from DCA)
The Way Forward
In an effort to manage and integrate the multiple priorities of the divisions and offices that make up DCF, we have embarked on a multi-year strategic planning process. It is our hope that this plan will assure a balanced and planful approach to sustaining and building on the strengths of the agency while also developing solutions to areas that require improvement.
DCF’s Strategic Plan outlines five Strategic Priorities. These include Seamless System of Care; Performance Management & Accountability; Partnerships; Communication; and Organizational Development. Please think of these priorities as the pillars or buckets in which we categorize our work. These priorities will help guide DCF now and into the future.
