Every child deserves permanence, safety and well-being. The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is charged with protecting children from abuse and neglect and strengthening families.

Adoption Program: While much of DCF’s work is focused on child protective services, we also provide adoption services. Each office has a unit that specializes in placing children/youth for adoption.

Whenever a child/youth needs adoption services, he or she is referred to the adoption unit and is visited and prepared for adoption by an adoption social worker. DCF also works with some private adoption agencies to meet the needs of children who are in foster care. If you are thinking about adoption and can open your heart and home to one of our children, please call us at 1-800-KIDS-508.

Foster Care Program: The Department of Children and Families Foster Care Program provides safe homes and compassionate foster parents for children who are removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect, unsafe or dangerous conditions.

Whenever the Department removes children from their home, attempts to identify family or extended family members are conducted for placement. If the Department is unsuccessful in its attempt to place a child with extended family, foster care is the alternative that offers the child a caring and stable home. The safety of a foster home can often be the place where children begin to heal from the trauma they have experienced. Foster parents provide a safe home for children during a time of great stress and turmoil.:

Contact Information


Phone: 508-760-0200
Email dcfcommissioner@state.ma.us

Address:
500 Main St.
Hyannis, MA