Research

Administrative History

The Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), created by Executive Order in 1998, merged the former Division of Youth with the family and children's programs administered by the former Department of Social Services. The agency was created to facilitate the integration of services for the state's children, youth, families, and vulnerable populations. OCFS has numerous responsibilities including: foster care, adoption and adoption assistance, child protective services, preventive services for children and families, services for pregnant adolescents, child care and referral programs, and protective programs for vulnerable adults. Additionally, the agency operates forty-two juvenile residential facilities for youth remanded to the agency's custody and care by the family and criminal courts.

Responsibility for the administration of youth residential facilities was transferred from the Department of Social Services to the Division for Youth in 1971. Upon its creation, OCFS received the records in this series and various other records from its predecessor agencies.