The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) is an agency of the

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

state government A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonomy, or ...

responsible for providing services to assist children and families and to oversee county offices handling those services. This includes child protective services,

adoption Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...

and

foster care Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home (residential child care community, treatment center, etc.), or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent" or with a family mem ...

services, and

juvenile justice A juvenile court, also known as young offender's court or children's court, is a tribunal having special authority to pass judgements for crimes that are committed by children who have not attained the age of majority. In most modern legal s ...

services. It also manages the licensing and regulation of facilities involved in the

and

day care Child care, otherwise known as day care, is the care and supervision of a child or multiple children at a time, whose ages range from two weeks of age to 18 years. Although most parents spend a significant amount of time caring for their child(r ...

systems, performs background investigations of child care providers, and investigates incidents of potential

child abuse Child abuse (also called child endangerment or child maltreatment) is physical, sexual, and/or psychological maltreatment or neglect of a child or children, especially by a parent or a caregiver. Child abuse may include any act or failure to a ...

neglect In the context of caregiving, neglect is a form of abuse where the perpetrator, who is responsible for caring for someone who is unable to care for themselves, fails to do so. It can be a result of carelessness, indifference, or unwillingness and ...

. It administers the

Wisconsin Works Workfare is a governmental plan under which welfare recipients are required to accept public-service jobs or to participate in job training. Many countries around the world have adopted workfare (sometimes implemented as "work-first" policies) to ...

(W-2) program, the child care subsidy program, child support enforcement and paternity establishment services, and programs related to the federal

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF ) is a federal assistance program of the United States. It began on July 1, 1997, and succeeded the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, providing cash assistance to indigent Ame ...

(TANF) income support program. The Department is currently led by Secretary Emilie Amundson, an appointee of Governor

Tony Evers Anthony Steven Evers (born November 5, 1951) is an American educator and politician serving as the 46th governor of Wisconsin since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as Wisconsin's Superintendent of Public Instruction from 200 ...

. The DCF secretary is a cabinet member appointed by the Governor of Wisconsin and confirmed by the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...

. The Department's main office is located in the Tommy G. Thompson Building (TGT) in downtown

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

; it maintains regional offices throughout the state.

History

The Department of Children and Families is the latest incarnation of a state agency to consolidate administration and oversight of children and family welfare services. In the early years of Wisconsin statehood, welfare services were largely created and controlled at the local level. Over the first three decades of statehood, the state government established boards to oversee and accredit these local organizations, with separate boards overseeing institutions for the care of prisoners; juveniles; and blind, deaf, or mentally ill persons. These early state boards were consolidated in 1871 under the supervision of the State Board of Charities and Reform. The separate boards were abolished in 1881, and their duties transferred to the State Board of Supervision of Wisconsin Charitable, Reformatory, and Penal Institutions. This board was consolidated with the State Board of Charities and Reform in 1891 as the State Board of Control of the Wisconsin Reformatory, Charitable and Penal Institutions
1891 Wisconsin Act 221
. By the time of the

New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...

in the 1930s, Wisconsin had already pioneered a number of public welfare programs which would soon become national policy, including aid to children and pensions for the elderly. "The Wisconsin Children's Code,"
1929 Wisconsin Act 439
, was considered one of the most comprehensive in the nation. The state's initial response to the new federal funding was to establish separate departments to administer social security funds and other public welfare programs. After several attempts through the 1930s, the

Wisconsin Legislature The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republican ...

established the State Department of Public Welfare in 1939
1939 Wisconsin Act 435
, to provide unified administration of all welfare programs. In 1967, a state commission under William R. Kellett, which had been appointed by Governor Warren P. Knowles, recommended the consolidation of health and welfare functions under a new agency known as the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS). The new agency was directed by a newly created Board of Health and Social Services, appointed by the governor, and a secretary, selected by the board. In 1975, however, the Legislature abolished the board and vested control in a secretary, to be directly appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the State Senate. The 1960s and 70s saw an expansion of public welfare programs at both the state and federal level, including the establishment of

Medicaid Medicaid in the United States is a federal and state program that helps with healthcare costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and pers ...

and Medicare, drug treatment programs,

food stamps In the United States, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is a federal program that provides food-purchasing assistance for low- and no-income people. It is a federal aid program, ad ...

Aid to Families with Dependent Children Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) was a federal assistance program in the United States in effect from 1935 to 1997, created by the Social Security Act (SSA) and administered by the United States Department of Health and Human Serv ...

, and increased regulation of nursing homes and hospitals. DHSS was assigned additional oversight over child support, investigations of child abuse and neglect, and welfare reform during the 1980s. In the 1990s, under Governor

Tommy Thompson Tommy George Thompson (born November 19, 1941) is an American Republican politician who most recently served as interim president of the University of Wisconsin System from 2020 to 2022. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served ...

, welfare reform became an important pillar of the policies of his government. After Republicans gained control of the Legislature in 1994, they set about enacting a transformation of state welfare programs, creating

and other welfare to work programs. I
1995 Wisconsin Act 27
DHSS transitioned into the Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS), and welfare-related programs were split off into the newly-created

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) is an agency of the Wisconsin state government responsible for providing services to Wisconsin workers, employers, and job-seekers to meet Wisconsin's workforce needs. To effect its mission, ...

. The most recent reorganization occurred in 2007, under Democratic Governor

Jim Doyle James Edward Doyle, Jr., (born November 23, 1945) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 44th governor of Wisconsin, serving from January 6, 2003 to January 3, 2011. In his first election to the governorship, he defeated incu ...

with a divided Legislature. The current Department of Children and Families was created b
2007 Wisconsin Act 20
which became effective on July 1, 2008. The law divided the DHFS into the

Wisconsin Department of Health Services The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (WisDHS) is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin responsible for maintaining public health. It administers a wide range of services in the state and at state institutions, regulates hosp ...

and the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, and brought back a number of the welfare-related programs from the

to the new Department of Children and Families. The first secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families was Reginald Bicha.

Organization

Leadership

The senior leadership of the Department consists of the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, and Assistant Secretary. * Secretary: Emilie Amundson * Deputy Secretary: Jeff Pertl * Assistant Secretary: Nadya Perez-Reyes

Divisions

Office of the Secretary

The Office of the Secretary is the central management of the department and provides support to the Secretary in formulating department policies. Offices include: * Communications * Office of Legal Counsel * Office of the Inspector General * Office of Budget & Policy * Tribal Affairs Liaison * Legislative Liaison * Urban Liaison

Division of Early Care and Education

The Division of Early Care and Education (DECE) manages child care licensing and regulation. Bureaus include: * Child Care Licensing and Certification * Milwaukee County Child Care Administration * YoungStar Program - a child care quality-improvement program * Wisconsin Shares - a child care subsidy program * Operations & Planning * Program Integrity

Division of Management Services

The Division of Management Services (DMS) handles administrative services to support the mission of the department. Bureaus include: * Financial Management * Information Systems & Technology * Human Resources Services & Employment Relations * Affirmative Action & Civil Rights Compliance * Purchasing & Contract Administration * Facilities Management * Project Management * Regional Operations

Division of Family and Economic Security

The Division of Family and Economic Security (DFES) manages programs to provide short term welfare assistance and resources. Bureaus include: * Wisconsin Works - Wisconsin's welfare-to-work program * Child Support * Refugee Services * Transform Milwaukee & Transitional Jobs Programs - subsidized jobs programs for workers transitioning into a new industry or occupation

Division of Milwaukee Child Protective Services

The Division of Milwaukee Child Protective Services (DMCPS) works to ensure the safety and well-being of children in Milwaukee County. Direct responsibility for Milwaukee County child services has resided with the state agency since 1995.

Division of Safety and Permanence

The Division of Safety and Permanence (DSP) manages programs to ensure safe placement of children who have been victims of abuse, neglect, or trafficking, and seeks to improve long-term outcomes for foster youth and children in the juvenile justice system. Bureaus include: * Child Welfare Foster Care and Adoption Assistance * Bureau of Youth Services * Juvenile Justice Youth Aids Program * Domestic Abuse Prevention

Statutory commissions

Separate from the ordinary organizational structure of the Department, there are two commissions created by the Governor or acts of the Wisconsin Legislature to oversee, advise, or administer certain functions. * Governor's Council on Domestic Abuse * Rate Regulation Advisory Committee

Attached independent entities

Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board

The Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board administers the Children's Trust Fund, which was created to fund strategies to prevent child abuse and neglect in Wisconsin. The board also recommends changes in statutes, policies, budges, or regulations to reduce child abuse and neglect.

Milwaukee Child Welfare Partnership Council

The Milwaukee Child Welfare Partnership Council makes recommendations for plans to improve the child welfare system in Milwaukee County.

Secretaries

The Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families is a cabinet member appointed by the

Governor of Wisconsin The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's army and air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Wiscons ...

and confirmed by the

References

External links

Official website

File a Complaint
{{authority control Children and Families Government agencies established in 2008 2008 establishments in Wisconsin