March 2010Vol. 11, No. 2Samuels Confirmed as ACYF Commissioner
On February 12, the Senate confirmed Bryan H. Samuels to be the new Commissioner of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), which includes the Children's Bureau and the Family and Youth Services Bureau. Mr. Samuels has served as Chief of Staff for the Chicago public school system, as well as Director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). While Director, he initiated a number of reforms that helped DCFS lower caseloads for workers, reduce the number of runaways, minimize the use of group homes and residential care, and cut the number of past due child protection investigations.
Much of Mr. Samuels' commitment to helping children and youth stems from his own 11-year experience of growing up in a residential school for disadvantaged children. He went on to earn a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and an M.A. from the University of Chicago, Harris School of Public Policy Studies.
To read the press release, visit the HHS website:
