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DSS Office, Employees Honored by Federal Agency
May 05, 2009
05.05.05 - Louisiana’s Disability Determinations Service (DDS), a part of the Department of Children & Family Services (DSS), and four of its employees have earned high honors from the Social Security Administration for outstanding work on behalf of the state’s disabled population.
DSS Urges Providers to Prevent Flu in Child Care Centers
May 01, 2009
05.01.09 - Department of Children & Family Services (DSS) Secretary Kristy Nichols said today that child care centers should take appropriate steps to prevent the spread of flu by sending sick children home and temporarily closing child care centers if a H1N1(Swine Flu) flu case is confirmed or if there is a link to a confirmed H1N1 flu case.
DSS Legislative Package Aims to Increase Protections from Sexual Predators, Realign Business Practices
May 01, 2009
05.01.09 - Reducing the threat of sexual predators, increasing educational stability for foster children and allowing the state to use public facilities during an emergency are part of the nine bills that make up the Department of Children & Family Services (DSS) Legislative Package that Louisiana lawmakers will consider during the current legislative session.
DSS Announces Appointment of Assistant Secretary of Office of Community Services
April 24, 2009
04.24.09 - Department of Children & Family Services (DSS) Secretary Kristy Nichols today announced that Kaaren Hebert has been appointed assistant secretary of the Office of Community Services (OCS) and will lead the office in implementing recently announced steps to help ensure the safety of children in the state by focusing on safety, technology, training and workforce retention. She has served as interim assistant secretary of OCS since November 2008.
DSS Employees Donate $40,000 in Campaign to Prevent Child Abuse
April 17, 2009
04.17.09 - Employees at the Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services (DSS) reached into their own pockets and donated more than $40,000 in a four week campaign to benefit Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana (PCAL).
National Company Teams Up with DSS to Hire Individuals with Disabilities
April 16, 2009
04.16.09 - PRIDE Industries, a national service company with a mission to create jobs for people with disabilities, has partnered with the Department of Children & Family Services’ Louisiana Rehabilitation Services to fill more than 60 contract jobs at Fort Polk located near Leesville. “The Department of Social Service is excited to forge a relationship with PRIDE Industries,” said DSS Secretary Kristy Nichols. “This is an avenue to enhance our state’s workforce development efforts while creating employment opportunities for citizens with disabilities that can result in self-sufficiency and independence.”
Newborn Safely Handed Over at Safe Haven Facility
April 09, 2009
04.09.09 - A newborn was safely handed over to an employee at a Safe Haven facility in Southwest Louisiana earlier this month, marking the second time in just over a month that a mother has utilized the Louisiana law. It also marks the second time the law has been utilized since the Department of Children & Family Services (DSS) launched a public awareness campaign in February to educate parents about Louisiana's Safe Haven Law.
DSS to Make Key Investments to Ensure Child Safety
April 02, 2009
04.02.09 - With more than 17,000 reported child abuse cases in Louisiana each year, the Department of Children & Family Services (DSS) today kicked off Child Abuse Prevention Month by announcing key investments the agency is making focusing on safety, technology and training/workforce retention to help ensure the safety of children in the state. DSS Secretary Kristy Nichols made the announcement at the Calcasieu Parish Office of Community Services (OCS).
DSS Raises $21,000 in Campaign to Prevent Child Abuse
April 02, 2009
04.02.09 - As Prevent Child Abuse month gets underway, Department of Children & Family Services (DSS) Secretary Kristy Nichols today announced that DSS employees have raised more than $21,000 to benefit Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana (PCAL), shattering a $17,000 goal set just two week before.
Newborn Safely Handed Over at Lake Charles area Safe Haven Facility One Month After State Public Awareness Campaign
March 11, 2009
03.11.09 - One month after the Department of Children & Family Services (DSS) launched a public awareness campaign to educate new parents about Louisiana’s Safe Haven law, a mother who felt she could not care for her newborn made a safe choice early this morning when she placed her baby in the safe arms of a Lake Charles area hospital worker.