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New York State Office of Children and Family Services

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Office of Children and Family Services
Office overview
JurisdictionNew York
Office executive
  • Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden, Commissioner of Children and Family Services
Parent departmentNew York State Department of Family Assistance
Key document
Websiteocfs.ny.gov

The New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) is an agency of the New York state government within the Department of Family Assistance.[1][2] The office has its headquarters in the Capital View Office Park in Rensselaer.[3]

Role

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OCFS has wide-ranging responsibilities for the provision of services to children, youth, families, and vulnerable adults. The agency is responsible for programs and services involving foster care, adoption, and adoption assistance; child protective services, including operating the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment; preventive services for children and families; child care and referral programs; and protective programs for vulnerable adults. Additionally, OCFS is responsible for the state's juvenile justice programs, administering and managing residential facilities located across New York State for youth remanded to the agency's custody by family and criminal courts. The agency also supports and monitors detention, aftercare, and a range of community-based programs. OCFS also coordinates, in part, the state government response to the needs of Native Americans and their children on reservations and in communities.

Prevention and rehabilitation efforts are joint ventures with local and county government, supported by federal, state, county, and municipal funds, as well as private contributions. OCFS provides technical and financial assistance to agencies involved in community youth programs and monitors activities of voluntary child-care and detention agencies in New York State.

Structure

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The agency divides its responsibilities into two main areas: program and support. The program divisions/offices include:

  • Division of Child Welfare and Community Services
  • Division of Juvenile Justice and Opportunities for Youth
  • Division of Youth Development and Partnerships for Success
  • Office of Juvenile Justice Oversight and Improvement
  • Division of Child Care Services
  • Commission for the Blind

The support divisions/offices include:

  • Division of Administration
  • Division of Legal Affairs
  • Office of Communications
  • Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Development
  • Office of Special Investigations
  • Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Development
  • Office of the Ombudsman

OCFS has regional offices in Albany, Buffalo, New York City, Rochester, Syracuse, and Westchester and Long Island. The Regional Offices help districts and agencies keep children safe, achieve permanency, and improve the quality of life for children and families. Regional offices provide "oversight" to local districts and voluntary agencies. The responsibility to provide oversight is defined as (1) assuring compliance with OCFS regulations, (2) reinforcing good practice standards, and (3) improving district/agency capacity to achieve positive outcomes for children and families.

The agency's Bureau of Training maintains the Parker Training Academy. Located on the academy grounds is a Dutch barn added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.[4]

The state Council on Children and Families was created by Governor Carey in 1977, and administratively merged with OCFS in 2003.[5][6] The council does not have direct responsibility for the operation of programs or the provision of services, but instead orients its priorities toward the development of comprehensive and coordinated systems of care that respond to the wide needs of children and families.

History

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In 1867 a Board of State Commissioners of Public Charities was created to visit and examine into the affairs of all charitable institutions.[7][8] In 1875 the Children's Law removed children from poorhouses.[9][10] In 1894 a constitutional convention enacted a provision requiring the Legislature to establish a State Board of Charities to visit and inspect all institutions.[11][12][8] In 1909 the Poor Law was consolidated in chapter 42, and the State Charities Law in chapter 55, of the Consolidated Laws of New York.[13][14] The Public Welfare Law superseded the Poor Law in 1929.[15][16] In 1931 they were renamed as the Department of Social Welfare and the State Board of Social Welfare.[17][8]

The Constitutional Convention of 1938 emphasized the state's and its subdivisions' duty to aid, care, and support the needy, including children.[8] In 1940 the State Charities Law and the Public Welfare Law were combined into the Social Welfare Law.[18][19][8][20] The Social Welfare Law mandated that public welfare districts, including New York City, were responsible for the welfare of children in need, either directly or through authorized agencies.[8] In 1967 it was renamed as the Department of Social Services.[21] OCFS was authorized by the Welfare Reform Act of 1997.[22][23][24] It was officially created on January 5, 1998, by merging the programs of the former state Division for Youth, the developmental and preventive children and family programs administered by the former state Department of Social Services, and the Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped.[25]

List of juvenile facilities

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Secure facilities:[26]

  • Brookwood Secure Center for Youth
  • Goshen Secure Center
  • MacCormick Secure Center

Limited secure facilities:[26]

  • Finger Lakes Residential Center
  • Highland Residential Center
  • Industry Residential Center
  • Taberg Residential Center for Girls
  • Harriet Tubman Residential Center

Non-secure facility:[26]

  • Brentwood Girls Secure Center

Former Facilities (now permanently closed):

  • Sgt. Henry Johnson Youth Leadership Academy
  • Lansing Residential Center
  • Red Hook Residential Center
  • Columbia Girls Secure Center
  • Tryon School for Boys
  • Tryon School for Girls

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Executive Law § 500. "There is hereby continued in the department of family assistance an autonomous office of children and family services. The head of such office shall be the commissioner of children and family services, [...]"
  2. ^ The Welfare Reform Act of 1997, Chap. 436 of the Laws of 1997, § 122. "(a) Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law to the contrary, effective April 1, 1997, the department of social services, as established by chapter 55 of the consolidated laws of the state of New York, is hereby renamed the department of family assistance. Within the department there shall be the following autonomous offices: (1) the office of children and family services; and (2) the office of temporary and disability assistance. (b) The head of the office of children and family services shall be the commissioner of children and family services and the head of the office of temporary and disability assistance shall be the commissioner of temporary and disability assistance. [...]"
  3. ^ "Contact New York State Office of Children & Family Services." New York State Office of Children and Family Services. Retrieved on June 3, 2010. "Capital View Office Park 52 Washington Street Rensselaer, New York 12144-2834"
  4. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  5. ^ Social Services Law Article 10-C. Chapter 757 of the Laws of 1977. Chapter 62 of the Laws of 2003.
  6. ^ "About Us". New York State Council on Children and Families. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  7. ^ "An act to provide for the appointment of a Board of Commissioners of Public Charities, and defining their duties and powers". Laws of New York. Vol. 90th sess.: II. 1867. pp. 2396–2399. hdl:2027/nyp.33433107682068. ISSN 0892-287X. Chapter 951, enacted 23 May 1867, effective immediately.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Matter of Bonez, 50 Misc. 2d 1080, 272 N.Y.S.2d 587 (N.Y. Misc. 1966)
  9. ^ "Children's Law". Laws of New York. Vol. 98th sess. 1875. p. 150. hdl:2027/nyp.33433107682217. ISSN 0892-287X. Chapter 173, enacted 24 April 1875.
  10. ^ Andress, Richard (2005). "Children and Family Services, Office of". In Eisenstadt, Peter; Moss, Laura-Eve (eds.). The Encyclopedia of New York State. Syracuse University Press. p. 322. ISBN 081560808X. LCCN 2005001032.
  11. ^ NYS Constitution Art. VIII, § 11.
  12. ^ "State Charities Law". Laws of New York. Vol. 119th sess.: I. 1896. pp. 511–559. hdl:2027/nyp.33433090742655. ISSN 0892-287X. Chapter 546, enacted 12 May 1896, effective 1 October 1896.
  13. ^ "Poor Law". Consolidated Laws of New York. Vol. IV. 1909. pp. 2861–2912. Chapter 46 of the Laws of New York, enacted 17 February 1909, effective immediately.
  14. ^ "State Charities Law". Consolidated Laws of New York. Vol. V. 1909. pp. 3681–3796. Chapter 57 of the Laws of New York, enacted 17 February 1909, effective immediately.
  15. ^ "An act in relation to the public welfare, constituting chapter forty-two of the consolidated laws". Laws of New York. Vol. 152nd sess.: I-II. 1929. pp. 1149–1572. hdl:2027/uc1.b4378097. ISSN 0892-287X. Chapter 565, enacted 12 April 1929, effective immediately and 1 January 1930.
  16. ^ Counsel to the Governor (12 April 1929), NYS Bill and Veto Jackets: 1929, Chapter 565, New York State Library
  17. ^ "An act to amend the state charities law, in relation to the designation of the department of charities and state board of charities,that such designations may be descriptive of their functions". Laws of New York. Vol. 152nd sess.: I-II. 1929. pp. 1571–1572. hdl:2027/uc1.b4378097. ISSN 0892-287X. Chapter 654, enacted 15 April 1929, effective immediately.
  18. ^ "Social Welfare Law". Laws of New York. Vol. 163rd sess. 1940. pp. 1640–1768. hdl:2027/nyp.33433108121298. ISSN 0892-287X. Chapter 619, enacted 18 April 1940, effective 1 March 1941.
  19. ^ Counsel to the Governor (18 April 1940), NYS Bill and Veto Jackets: 1940, Chapter 619, New York State Library
  20. ^ "LEHMAN SIGNS BILL ON WELFARE UNITY: Consolidation of Old Law and the Charities Act Is a Forward Step, He Asserts". The New York Times. 22 April 1940.
  21. ^ "An act to amend the title and body of the social welfare law, in relation to re-entitling such law as the social services law…". Laws of New York. Vol. 190th sess.: I. 1967. pp. 1936–1938. ISSN 0892-287X. Chapter 728, enacted 2 May 1967, effective 1 July 1967.
  22. ^ "The Welfare Reform Act of 1997". Laws of the State of New York Passed at the Sessions of the Legislature. 220th sess.: III: 2806–2961. 1997. hdl:2027/nyp.33433017532999. ISSN 0892-287X. Chapter 436, enacted 20 August 1997, effective immediately with provisos. § 122(a) at p. 2922: "Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law to the contrary, effective April 1, 1997, the department of social services, as established by chapter 55 of the consolidated laws of the state of New York, is hereby renamed the department of family assistance. Within the department there shall be the following autonomous offices: (1) the office of children and family services; and (2) the office of temporary and disability assistance. (b) The head of the office of children and family services shall be the commissioner of children and family services and the head of the office of temporary and disability assistance shall be the commissioner of temporary and disability assistance."
  23. ^ Counsel to the Governor (20 August 1997), NYS Bill and Veto Jackets: 1997, Chapter 436, New York State Archives
  24. ^ 9 CRR-NY 165-1.2.
  25. ^ Bogacz, Stephen John (2018). New York Juvenile Delinquency Practice. LexisNexis. FCA § 353.3. ISBN 9781579111793.
  26. ^ a b c "DJJOY Facilities" (Map). New York State Office of Children and Family Services. Retrieved on April 22, 2015.
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