Why was DCF created ?
For several years now, New Jersey has been struggling to fix its child welfare system and making national headlines with stories of how that system has tragically failed children and families who depended on the state for support and protection. Many good efforts by staff at all levels of New Jersey’s Department of Human Services (DHS) and a substantial dedication of new state funding to implement a court-ordered reform plan have in the past fallen short of producing the safety net and support system the state must provide our most vulnerable residents. A critical piece – although not a panacea – to achieve meaningful change was to create an organizational structure that makes sense. As such, Governor Corzine created the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to focus squarely on the needs of kids and families.
