Child and Family Services

The Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) serves Maine's children and their families through the Divisions of Child Welfare, Children's Behavioral Health, Early Childhood, and Public Service Management. Visit our Programs and Services for a complete listing of services provided by OCFS

Children's Behavioral Health Services - the authority in Maine regarding behavioral health treatment and services for children from birth up to their 21st birthday. CBHS provides leadership in the development and oversight of the system of care of these services, ensuring contractual compliance and quality improvement. CBHS provides information and assistance with referrals for children and youth with developmental disabilities/delays, intellectual disability (mental retardation), Autism Spectrum Disorders, and mental health disorders.

Child Welfare - seeks safety, well-being and permanent homes for children, working with professionalism and respecting the dignity of all families. Child abuse reports are investigated on behalf of Maine communities, working to keep children safe and to guide families in creating safe homes for children. 

Early Childhood - responsible for child care and Head Start programs, coordination of child care licensing, technical assistance, training and employer incentives.

Public Service Management - provides integration of and oversight to Community, Residential, and Information Services.

2012 KIDS COUNT Data Book Now Available

The Office of Child and Family Services is pleased to partner with the Annie E. Casey Foundation as a 2012 KIDS COUNT Outreach Partner. The 23rd annual KIDS COUNT Data Book calls for improvements to the nations ability to design and evaluate programs and policies aimed at the needs of children and families living in poverty. The 2012 KIDS COUNT Data Book is complemented by a new online and mobile-friendly Data Center (http://datacenter.kidscount.org) that contains hundreds of measures of child well-being covering national, state, county, and city information. Visitors to the website can access customizable graphs and geographic profiles on education, economic well-being, the number of children in immigrant families, health, and many more topics. See How Are Our Kids Doing? - an interactive "widget" with Maine data.