Date: Friday, September 15, 2023

Time: Noon

Location: OCFS Human Services Training Center, 164 Columbia Turnpike, Rensselaer, NY 12144

RSVP: Media interested in attending must RSVP to press@ocfs.ny.gov. Additional details below.

Child Welfare Worker Appreciation Week is September 11 – 15, 2023. The New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) is hosting a Child Welfare Worker Appreciation Week celebration to recognize child welfare workers for the critical services they provide to protect children and strengthen families statewide.

With some counties reporting child welfare vacancies as high as 50%, OCFS is committed to assisting in recruitment and retention efforts for local departments of social services across the state.

The event will take place at OCFS’ Human Services Training Center (HSTC), a 97,000-square-foot facility for human services professionals statewide where county caseworkers, child welfare supervisors, voluntary agency staff, juvenile justice  professionals, child care licensors and other staff receive comprehensive training. The HSTC is only the second of its kind in the nation and sets the standard for the integration of technology with training.

Featured speakers include:

• Suzanne Miles-Gustave, OCFS Acting Commissioner
• Gail Geohagen-Pratt, OCFS Acting Deputy Commissioner for Child Welfare and Community Services
• A child welfare worker with more than 20 years of experience
• A family member who has experienced success with the support of a child welfare worker

Important media planning details below: 

• Press should arrive 15 minutes before event start time.
• All media members in attendance will need to check in with security upon arrival
• Media members will be invited to tour OCFS’ Human Services Training Center (HSTC) following the event.

About the New York State Office of Children and Family Services:

The Office of Children and Family Services serves New York's public by promoting the safety, permanency and well-being of children, families and communities. The agency provides a system of family support, juvenile justice, youth development, child care and child welfare services and is responsible for programs and services involving foster care, adoption and adoption assistance, child protective services, preventive services for children and families, and protective programs for vulnerable adults.