The mission of the DCF Office of Adolescent Services (OAS) is to support adolescents in the transition to adulthood to achieve economic self sufficiency, interdependence, and engage in healthy life-styles by:

1. Ensuring that services provided through the Department of Children and Families are coordinated, effective, meet best practice standards, are youth driven, and adapt to the needs of families and communities,
2. Developing linkages with other service providers in order to create a more equitable and seamless service system, and
3. Providing leadership and policy development in the field of adolescent services.

*NEW* Watch Keeping Your DYFS Case Open Until 21 in New Jersey: The Experiences of Young People Like You below or Click here to watch the YouTube Video 

Video 1

 
Transitions for Youth (TFY) 
TFY  is a program that utilizes a positive youth development framework to address the various needs of youth transitioning to adulthood. TFY serves youth involved in foster care, juvenile justice and the mental health systems.

Adolescent Housing Hub
DCF' s Adolescent Housing Hub is an online reservation system and electronic database of housing options for youth and young adult.  "The Hub” provides a standardized and efficient referral and discharge process for youth housing throughout the state. Housing programs for youth ages 16 – 21 are accessible to all DCF-involved youth and youth that are homeless, but non-DCF involved.

To secure a youth bed through The Hub, a DYFS worker, DCBHS care manager, a DCF-contracted housing provider or the youth themselves can call PerformCare at 1-877-652-7624 and press “4.” Other referents can also call on behalf of the youth with their permission.

Once a call is placed to PerformCare and the youth is registered in the system, a referral will be completed and housing programs will be identified for the youth that meet criteria related to age, gender, location and other specifics. The names of up to three housing providers will be offered to the caller and housing providers will be able to immediately implement outreach to youth who meet eligibility criteria for their program who are registered in The Hub.

New Jersey Youth4Youth
This Web site is created by youth and for youth involved with any New Jersey state agency that serves young people, such as DYFS, DCBHS and the Juvenile Justice Commission.


DCF Office of Adolescent Services
PO Box 717
Trenton, NJ  08625-0717
609-888-7100
dcf_adolescentservices@dcf.state.nj.us