Louisiana Office Of Child Welfare

AKA:

OCS / OCW / Office of Community Services

Description:

State Office: Office of Child Welfare (OCW) is a branch of the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).

OCW administers and supervises services that are provided by the parish offices. Please see parish listings for more program and contact information.

CHILD PROTECTION
INVESTIGATION: Investigates child abuse and neglect
FAMILY SERVICES: Provides short-term, concrete services to children and families in their own homes in order to address problems of abuse/neglect and promote the safety of the children within the family unit.

ADOPTION SERVICES
ADOPTION PETITION SERVICES: Investigates independent adoptions (including stepparent, grandparent, one parent, and non-relative adoptions) to determine the availability of the child and the suitability of the adoptive home, reports the findings of these investigations to the courts and assists families in obtaining revised birth certificates.
ADOPTION SERVICES: Seeks adoptive home placement of children who are in the DCFS' custody and are legally free for adoption.
REUNION REGISTRY: The LA Adoption Registry is a registry established by the Department of Children & Family Services to facilitate voluntary contact between adult adoptees, their birth parents and/or siblings.
OUT OF STATE CERTIFICATION / LA ADOPTION RESOURCE EXCHANGE (LARE): Provides information on the foster and adoption process for our of state residents wishing to adopt a Louisiana child.

FOSTER PARENTING: Provides temporary, substitute care for children in the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) because of parental abuse or neglect.

Hours:

M-F, 8A-4:30P

Intake Process:

To report child abuse or neglect, call the local office or the 24 hour hotline.
To become certified as foster parent: Attend an orientation meeting, complete pre-service training (7 sessions), submit application for certification, submit to fingerprinting of all adult members of household, provide documentation from a physician that all members of household are free of communicable disease, participate in the home study process (up to 3 home visits by an agency worker-one of which will include a safety inspection of the home), provide at least 5 references.

Program Fees:

None

Languages:

English, Spanish, French

Eligibility:

Anyone may report abuse.
To become certified as foster parent, person must be at least 21 years of age, financially stable, in good physical, emotional and mental health, have adequate space in home for additional child, able to pass state and federal criminal clearances, attend 21 hours of pre-service training, participate in home study process.

Handicap Accessible?

No

Is Shelter?

No

Related Resource

Related Resources

Date of Official Change:

April 24, 2011

Address Listings

Contacts

Phone Numbers

Legal Status:

State