Respect • Integrity • Professionalism • Excellence • Empowerment • Uniqueness • Diversity • Safety • Integration • Collaboration • Family-Centered • Commitment

The Department for Children, Youth and Families was created in 2001 from a vision of a seamless, integrated and coordinated approach to serving the families and children of Albany County. Within the department, there are four principal program areas: Children’s Services, Children with Special Needs, Children’s Mental Health and the Youth Bureau. There is also a host of supportive programs that compliment our service delivery system.

The Department is committed to excellence, professionalism, integrity and is uniquely structured to deliver an integrated, diverse, holistic set of services, in collaboration with families and communities to empower families to create a safe, nurturing environment in which children can grow, thrive and reach their full potential.

The Department for Children, Youth and Families contracts with numerous independent providers and agencies throughout the community in our efforts to provide quality, effective and sustainable services to the families we serve. The department is aware of the importance of collaboration with community organizations and continues to engage the community in our efforts to improve services for children and families in Albany County.

A system of Care is a network of community services and supports for children and youth with emotional, behavioral and developmental concerns. Families, youth and providers become partners so each child can function better at home, in school and in the community.

Our core values in the system of care are to be family driven, youth guided, community based, strength based and culturally and linguistically competent.