Children, Adults and Families Division (CAF)

Assistant DHS Director: Erinn Kelley-Siel

Deputy Assistant Director - Policy/Program: Michael Serice
Deputy Assistant Director - Field Services: Jim Neely

Policy/Program

This group is responsible for administering self-sufficiency and child-protective programs. These include JOBS, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Employment Related Day Care, Food Stamps, child-abuse investigation and intervention, foster care and adoptions. The group also contains the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (OVRS), which helps Oregonians with disabilities to prepare for, find and retain jobs.

• Self-sufficiency and child safety
  • Child-care subsidy programs
    Programs such as Employment Related Day Care and JOBS child care help low-income working families and people in the JOBS Program pay for their child care
  • Child-protective services
    Investigates and intervenes in cases of abuse and neglect
  • Family-Based Services
    Supports the safety of children in the home, and counsels and trains parents
  • The Food Stamp Program
    Helps Oregonians feed themselves and their families
  • The JOBS Employment and Training Program
    Prepares people for the workplace and helps them find work
  • Prevention programs
    Helps young people make positive choices and avoid behaviors that put them at risk
  • TANF
    Provides cash benefits for low-income families with children
    
• Permanency for children
  • Foster care
    Provides care for children removed from their homes while the parents, DHS and other agencies work toward reuniting the family
  • Adoption programs
    Permanently place children with other families when they cannot return to their parents

Field Services

CAF has 16 districts that provide direct client services to all Oregon counties through more than 100 field offices. CAF employees in the 16 districts and the processing center are responsible for direct client services in programs administered within CAF and the Division of Medical Assistance Programs.

District offices also are responsible for strengthening working relationships with communities, counties and local partners. The district offices work with these local partners to create a more integrated delivery system for clients in need of social supports. The management team within each district typically includes program managers who have expertise in specific CAF program areas of self-sufficiency, child welfare and vocational rehabilitation services.

Rehabilitation Services

The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services works with businesses, schools and community programs to help people with disabilities prepare for and find employment.

Central office

Within central office, the Office of Operational Support provides assistance to the District Managers and field offices. They serve as the connection between the program-and-policy groups and the field, to ensure policies are effectively implemented in the local offices and to help accomplish policy-related changes requested by the field.

Field Services also includes the following:

• The Direct Pay Unit
  Processes payments for providers of services to DHS clients
• Oregon Health Plan Eligibility
  Processes applications and determines eligibility for the Oregon Health Plan
• Quality Control for the Food Stamp Program
  Investigates possible client fraud
• Volunteer services for clients
  Helps with needs such as medical transportation and donations of household and other items

See the Children, Adults and Families Division organization chart and contact information.

See overview information for all DHS divisions:

• Addictions and Mental Health Division
• Administrative Services Division 
• Children, Adults and Families Division 
• Director's Office 
• Division of Medical Assistance Programs 
• Public Health Division 
• Seniors and People with Disabilities Division 

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