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DEPARTMENT OF SERVICES FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH,
AND THEIR FAMILIES (KIDS)
In 1983 the legislature created the Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families. The department was created by transferring agencies previously located in Correction, Health, and Social Services and the Family Court.¹
The purpose for the creation of this new department was to enable the state to provide more efficient delivery of services to children and families by avoiding fragmentation and duplication. They cover the care of children with problems including abuse, neglect, dependency, delinquency, mental illness, and emotional difficulties.
The formerly independent agency, Youth Diagnostic Center was incorporated into this new agency, also in 1983. In 1984 the Division of Youth Rehabilitation Services was created by merging the former Department of Corrections Bureau of Juvenile Corrections and the Probation Services section from Family Court with responsibilities for administering the Ferris School for Boys, Woods-Haven Kruse School for Girls, Bridgehouse, and Stevenson House.
The Division of Child Mental Health was transferred to KIDS in 1984 from the Department of Health and Social Services to provide out-patient and residential treatment services for youth under the age of 18 with mental health or drug and alcohol problems. The service centers include Terry Children’s Psychiatric Center and the statewide system of residential treatment centers.²
In July 1993, the Division of Child Protective Services became the Division of Family Services.
Note: For more information on the above services see the agency histories for the Department of Corrections, Department of Health and Social Services, and Family Court.

1501 2 of 2

DEPARTMENT OF SERVICES FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH,
AND THEIR FAMILIES (KIDS)

¹ 64 DL, ch. 108, 1983.

²VOLUNTEER NEWS, v. 1, no. 1, Dec. 1985, Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families.
JAM; December 1991