NH DCYF Requests Broad Stakeholder Input On The Future Of Child Welfare In New Hampshire

Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to advance ongoing efforts to enhance the services that strengthen families, connect them within communities, and create greater capacity to keep kids safe. DCYF seeks input on ensuring that children and families in New Hampshire receive the right services, at the right time, and in the right place.

The RFI requests guidance from stakeholders across the child- and family-serving system, including service providers, youth, parents and relatives, foster parents, and advocacy groups. To identify new opportunities, DCYF also seeks the unique perspective of nontraditional child welfare stakeholders such as healthcare and mental health providers, philanthropic organizations, and academic and research institutions. DCYF intends to use the feedback to inform the development of comprehensive and coordinated programs and services that will focus on meeting the needs of children and youth, strengthening families, and creating greater capacity in communities to keep kids safe so they can thrive.

“The Department has an unprecedented opportunity to redesign the child and family services system around our core value of strengthening families,” said DHHS Commissioner Jeffrey A. Meyers. “We know that children thrive when they are part of strong and well-supported families, and our goal is to enhance community partners’ ability to provide the necessary services that allow families to reach their potential while ensuring the safety and well-being of their children. Success will require input from everyone who has a stake in a child’s health, development, and well-being.”

Responses to the RFI are due by November 7, 2019. A Respondent Meeting is scheduled for October 14, 2019 from 1 – 4 p.m. in the DHHS Brown Building Auditorium, 129 Pleasant St., Concord.