Official Site of The State of New Jersey
The DCF Office of Adolescent Services (OAS) supports adolescents transition to adulthood, achieve economic self-sufficiency, interdependence, and engage in healthy lifestyles by:
- 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,
- Developing linkages with other service providers in order to create a more equitable and seamless service system, and
- Providing leadership and policy development in the field of adolescent services.
The objective of our work is to develop a robust service system that seeks to provide the services and supports the youth need in a timely manner, including:
- Safe and stable housing,
- Transportation,
- Job training and education,
- Financial stability,
- Life skills and other training to encourage positive development,
- Physical and mental health care,
- Connections to caring adults to assist with life decision and provide emotional support,
- Youth engagement activities in program and communities, and
- Preparation for economic self-sufficiency, interdependence, and healthy life-styles.
Our work is guided by the principles that adolescent services should:
- Treat all youth with respect,
- Empower youth to engage in planning regarding their own lives, as well as service planning within their communities to the extent that it is developmentally appropriate,
- Use a strengths-based and culturally competent approach,
- Assist youth in developing protective/positive attributes and reducing risk behavior,
- Be flexibly structured to meet the individual needs of youth,
- Promote healthy connections to family and other caring adults,
- Affirm the ability of all youth to succeed, but at their own pace and with support,
- Be coordinated, accessible, and endeavor to meet established and emerging best practice standards, and
- Use a data driven, outcomes focus.
Our Programs
DCF supports various programs and services for adolescents and young adults including housing, life skills, mentoring, employment/training, educational support, youth advocacy, and healthcare.
