Wisconsin Department of Children and Families

Wisconsin Department of Children and Families

Tommy G. Thompson Center
Agency overview
FormedJuly 1, 2008[1]
Preceding agencies
  • Wisconsin Department of Public Welfare (1939–1967)
  • Wisconsin Department of Health and Social Services (1967–1996)
  • Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services (1996–2008)
HeadquartersTommy G. Thompson Building (TGT) 201 W. Washington Ave. Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
43°04′21.8″N 89°23′10.4″W / 43.072722°N 89.386222°W / 43.072722; -89.386222
Employees798.17 (2023)[2]
Annual budget$2,883,541,900 USD (2023)[2]
Agency executives
  • Jeff Pertl[3], Secretary
  • Nadya Pérez-Reyes[3], Deputy Secretary
  • Jessica Justman, Assistant Secretary[3]
Website

The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) is an agency of the Wisconsin state government responsible for providing services to assist children and families and to oversee county offices handling those services. This includes child protective services, adoption and foster care services, and juvenile justice services. It also manages the licensing and regulation of facilities involved in the foster care and day care systems, performs background investigations of child care providers, and investigates incidents of potential child abuse or neglect. It administers the Wisconsin Works (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 (TANF) income support program.[4]

The Department is currently led by Secretary-designee Jeff Pertl, an appointee of Governor Tony Evers. The DCF secretary is a cabinet member appointed by the Governor of Wisconsin and confirmed by the Wisconsin Senate.[4]

The Department's main office is located in the Tommy G. Thompson Building (TGT) in downtown Madison, Wisconsin; it maintains regional offices throughout the state.[4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference bb2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b "The Executive" (PDF). Wisconsin Blue Book 2023–2024 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. 2023. pp. 187–189. ISBN 978-1-7333817-2-7. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "DCF Executive Team". Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "The Executive" (PDF). Wisconsin Blue Book 2021-2022 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. 2021. pp. 195–198. ISBN 978-1-7333817-1-0. Retrieved October 23, 2021.