In the 46 years since 1980, the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services has been led by 15 Secretaries.
On average, that’s an executive leadership change every 3 years.
Roughly every three years, a new Secretary is appointed to implement the State’s plans and strategies for DCFS. Every three years, upper management and sometimes middle management at DCFS are shuffled. New organizational charts are printed, new policies are drafted, new practices implemented, and line staff throughout the organization catch their collective breaths to see what the newest new will look like. Then, just as the ripples of these changes begin settling across the state, the process begins again.
Each Governor is permitted to appoint her or his team. Governors can largely do as they wish regarding appointed positions, but the churn of DCFS Secretaries is a political process, and one that is not designed with the well-being of Louisiana’s children in mind.
Until DCFS is granted stable access to the resources necessary to meet its responsibilities and long-term stability of leadership, I believe the sense that Louisiana’s child welfare system is stuck will continue, and like bald tires spinning in deep mud, DCFS will continue struggling for traction.
Also, in case you are interested, here are the numbers of child welfare Secretaries by Governor:
Louisiana Governors and their child welfare Secretaries
- Edwin Edwards: 4 Secretaries
- Dave Treen: 1 Secretary
- Buddy Roemer: 1 Secretary
- Mike Foster: 1 Secretary
- Kathleen Blanco: 1 Secretary
- Bobby Jindal: 3 Secretaries
- John Bel Edwards: 2 Secretaries
- Jeff Landry: 2 Secretaries
Perhaps, a different model of selecting child welfare leaders would allow for stability of leadership.
Rick Wheat
Director
Center for Child Well-being