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DCFS Invites Public to Regional “Conversations with a Secretary” Community Meetings

August 13, 2018

BATON ROUGE, LA - The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services is inviting the public to a community conversation with Secretary Marketa Garner Walters and DCFS leadership on the issues of child welfare and poverty.

Walters will provide an update on DCFS activities over the past two and a half years. These include revolutionizing Louisiana's approach to foster care, the department's record-setting adoptions and DCFS' efforts to provide disaster food assistance and sheltering after the floods of 2016 and sheltering assistance for Texas residents after hurricane Harvey.  The department recently launched efforts to extend foster care through age 21 and is expanding programs, such as the SNAP Employment and Training program, that address poverty and enable Louisianans to live well.

Walters will provide regional and statewide data and field questions and comments from the community.

"We serve Louisiana's most fragile children and families," Walters said. "When you consider our SNAP clients, our work with Disability Determination Services, child support, foster care and adoption, emergency preparedness, and other services, DCFS impacts about one in every four Louisiana residents. We think it's important to get out of the capital city and hear directly from communities so we can work together to improve lives and create opportunities."

Though it's not required for attendance, DCFS is encouraging participants to register at the following link: https://conta.cc/2MB7w1p.

All the events begin at 2 p.m. See a full schedule below or click here for a flier.