Nevada Division of Child and Family Services

What Nevada Division of Child and Family Services does

The Nevada Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) is a state government agency operating as a division of the Nevada Department of Human Services, headquartered at 4126 Technology Way in Carson City with regional offices in Las Vegas and Reno. DCFS provides child welfare, children's mental health, juvenile justice, victim services, and adoption and foster care services across Nevada's 17 counties through three regional service areas: the Rural Region (state-supervised and state-administered), Clark County, and Washoe County (state-supervised, county-administered). The agency directly administers services in the 15 rural counties and operates three juvenile justice facilities (Caliente Youth Center, Nevada Youth Training Center, Summit View Youth Center), children's mental health Neighborhood Family Service Centers in Las Vegas and Reno, the Youth Parole Bureau with offices in Las Vegas, Reno, Elko, and Fallon, the Confidential Address Program for victims of domestic violence and trafficking, the Grants Management Unit, and the Victim Services Unit.

DCFS's core technology asset is UNITY (Unified Nevada Information Technology for Youth), a Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System used for over 20 years as the official case record system for all children and families served by Nevada child welfare agencies. UNITY is being replaced under a modernization project approved by the State in 2019, transitioning from the legacy mainframe SACWIS application toward a CCWIS-compliant system as defined under 45 CFR §1355.50-1355.57. After KPMG LLP completed the needs assessment (approved by the Board of Examiners in April 2024) and Deloitte Consulting LLC was selected as the preferred vendor (approved December 9, 2025), DCFS issued a Notice of Intent to Terminate the Deloitte contract on February 26, 2026, effective March 30, 2026. The agency also uses Microsoft Power BI for public-facing data dashboards, Qualtrics for complaint and media-inquiry forms, and the GovQA Public Portal for records requests.

DCFS is funded through Nevada general fund appropriations and federal grants including Title IV-E, Title IV-B, VOCA, FVPSA, and CBCAP, supplemented by dedicated revenue streams (marriage license fees into the Aid to Victims of Domestic Violence or Sexual Violence Fund and a $1 fee per certified death certificate into the Child Death Review Fund, which awarded roughly $130,000 in State Fiscal Year 2021). No fees are charged to families. The agency employs approximately 174 staff and is led by Administrator Kimberly Abbott alongside four Deputy Administrators covering Children's Mental Health, Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice Services, and Support Services.

Name

Nevada Division of Child and Family Services

Legal name

Nevada Division of Child and Family Services

Website

https://dcfs.nv.gov

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Nevada Division of Child and Family Services is a state government agency under the Nevada Department of Human Services that delivers child welfare, children's mental health, juvenile justice, victim services, and foster care/adoption programs across all 17 Nevada counties through direct state operations and county-administered partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Child and Family Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK)

Keywords

• Child welfare services
• Juvenile justice services
• Children mental health
• Victim services
• Foster and adoption

Headquarters

HQ city

Carson City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. State and Federal Government Appropriations: DCFS is a division of the Nevada Department of Human Services, funded primarily through state general fund appropriations and federal grant programs. No fees are charged to families for services.
2. Federal Grants (VOCA, FVPSA, CBCAP, Title IV-E, Title IVB): DCFS receives multiple federal funding streams including Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP), Title IV-E, and Title IVB-2 grants to support child welfare, mental health, and victim services programs statewide.
3. Marriage License Revenue for Victim Services: Aid to Victims of Domestic Violence or Sexual Violence Fund is generated through marriage license revenue collected statewide, with guaranteed base allocations to counties and per capita allotments based on population.
4. Child Death Review Fund: NRS 432B.409 allots a fee of $1 per issued certified death certificate to fund prevention efforts, with approximately $130,000 awarded for State Fiscal Year 2021 for safe sleep, suicide prevention, and water safety programs.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Nevada Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) is a state government agency under the Nevada Department of Human Services that delivers child protective services, foster care, adoption, children's mental health treatment, juvenile justice residential and parole services, and victim services across Nevada's 17 counties. It also administers the UNITY child welfare information system that holds the official case record for all children and families served by child welfare agencies in the state.

Product overview

The Nevada Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) operates as a multi-service government agency providing child welfare, mental health, juvenile justice, and victim services across Nevada. The agency functions through three regional service areas (Rural Region state-administered, Clark County, and Washoe County) and offers services including Child Welfare Services (adoption, foster care, child protective services), Children's Mental Health Services (crisis response, therapy, residential treatment), Juvenile Justice Services (three state facilities: Caliente Youth Center, Nevada Youth Training Center, Summit View Youth Center), Victim Services (compensation, assistance, confidential addressing), and the Grants Management Unit for federal/state funding oversight. DCFS also operates UNITY, a Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS) currently undergoing modernization to replace the legacy SACWIS system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Child Welfare Services (CWS) Comprehensive child protective and welfare services including adoption, foster care, child protective services, and family support across Nevada's three regional service areas: Rural Region (state-administered), Clark County, and Washoe County.
• Children's Mental Health Services Mental health treatment services for children and adolescents including mobile crisis response, community-based therapy, medication management, residential treatment, and wraparound care coordination in Clark and Washoe Counties through Southern Nevada Child and Adolescent Services and Northern Nevada Child and Adolescent Services.
• Juvenile Justice Services State-operated residential juvenile justice facilities and supervision including Caliente Youth Center, Nevada Youth Training Center, Summit View Youth Center, and Youth Parole Bureau serving youth ages 12-20 committed for delinquent behavior or mental health treatment.
• Grants Management Unit (GMU) Oversees federal and state grant funding including VOCA, FVPSA, CBCAP, Children's Trust Fund, Title IV-B and IV-E programs, and manages subawards to community providers for victim services and child welfare.
• Systems Advocate Handles constituent inquiries, complaints, and concerns regarding DCFS programs including Children's Mental Health, Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice Services, and Victim Services; also serves as Public Information Officer, Media Liaison, Records Officer, and Division Hearing Officer.
• Confidential Address Program (CAP) Program providing fictitious addresses and confidential mail forwarding services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and stalking to prevent location by perpetrators through public records; established 1997 and transferred to DCFS in 2017.
• Victim Services Unit Comprehensive victim services including Nevada Victims of Crime Compensation, Grants Management for victim services funding, and Confidential Address Program. Covers assistance for crime-related expenses and coordinates victim services across Nevada.
• Nevada's Victim Services Collaborative (VSC) Collaboration between four state agencies overseeing victim service funding in Nevada, providing a centralized resource for victims, advocates, and agencies to access victim services information.
• Victims Assistance Services Victim support services funded through VOCA, FVPSA, and Aid to Victims of Domestic Violence or Sexual Violence Fund, providing emergency shelters, legal advocacy, crisis intervention, and mental health counseling statewide.
• UNITY (Unified Nevada Information Technology for Youth) Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS) used for over 20 years to manage case records for children and families served by child welfare agencies statewide, currently undergoing modernization from SACWIS to CCWIS-compliant system.
• Nevada Central Registry Statewide registry of individuals substantiated for child abuse or neglect, maintained to protect children and vulnerable adults, with information disclosed to employers, law enforcement, and designated child safety officials per NRS 432.100.
• Adoption Services State adoption programs providing safe, permanent homes for children whose birth parents cannot care for them, including recruitment of adoptive families, children available for adoption listings, and post-adoption services.
• Foster Care Foster care services providing family life experiences in licensed homes for children removed due to abuse and neglect, including relative foster care, with approximately 400 children in Rural Nevada foster care.
• Child Protective Services Protective services responding to reports of abuse or neglect of children under 18, assessing family functioning, identifying strengths and risks, and developing safety plans in coordination with community agencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves approximately 400 children in Rural Nevada foster care
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Deloitte Consulting LLPcoreTechnology or Integration · 10 November 2025Deloitte Consulting LLC was selected as the preferred vendor following RFP evaluation (Nevada Bid Solicitation 40DHHS-S3394) to design, develop, and implement Nevada's new CCWIS solution. The contract was awarded following a unanimous vote by the evaluation team and approved by the State of Nevada Board of Examiners on December 9, 2025. On February 26, 2026, DCFS issued a Notice of Intent to Terminate Contract effective March 30, 2026, without cause per contract section 10.A.
• KPMG LLPcoreTechnology or Integration · 20 December 2023KPMG LLP was selected to conduct the Nevada Child Welfare Needs Assessment for the UNITY modernization project. The vendor engaged in extensive requirement-gathering sessions covering functional and non-functional needs with stakeholders from Clark County, Washoe County, and 15 rural counties. KPMG delivered requirements documentation, process flows, cost benefit analysis, gap analysis, technical design roadmap, and knowledge transfer plan. The project was approved by the State Board of Examiners on April 9, 2024.
• The Reel Hope ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Reel Hope Project creates recruitment videos for Nevada waiting children available for adoption. The website links to individual videos for children such as Damien, Trey, William, Andy, Dominic, Kayden, Michael, Madison, Charlie, Delilah, Myah, and Levi & Riley.
• Family-MatchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily-Match is a platform that streamlines family recruitment and child placement. DCFS is now partnering with Family-Match to register family profiles for prospective adoptive families of Nevada waiting children.
• Raise the FutureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaise the Future is an adoption resource partner that provides adoption recruitment services and matching support for Nevada's waiting children.
• AdoptUSKidsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdoptUSKids is a national adoption resource that supports Nevada's adoption programs in recruiting and matching families with waiting children.
• Clark County Department of Family Services (CCDFS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClark County Department of Family Services receives approximately 50% of CPS referrals and administers child welfare services (foster care, adoption) in Clark County (Las Vegas/Henderson area) under DCFS state supervision. The county transfers foster care/adoption services and staff to CCDFS as mandated by Assembly Bill 1 (2004).
• Washoe County Human Services Agency (WCHSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWashoe County Human Services Agency receives approximately 32% of CPS referrals and administers child welfare services in Washoe County (Reno/Sparks area) under DCFS state supervision. Staff and services were transferred to WCHSA as mandated by Assembly Bill 1 (January 2003).
• Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTreatment services in the rural region for children's mental health are provided through the Division of Public and Behavioral Health, Division of Mental Health and Disability Services. DCFS coordinates with DPBH for rural mental health service delivery.
• Nevada Victim Services Collaborative (VSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVSC is a collaboration between the four state agencies that oversee victim service funding in Nevada: DCFS (Victims of Crime Compensation, Grants Management Unit, Confidential Address Program), Office of the Attorney General (VAWA STOP/SASP), Department of Public Safety (JAG), and other state agencies. VSC provides a centralized hub for victims, advocates, and agencies to access victim services information.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• California Department of Social Services: California's primary state agency overseeing child welfare, foster care, adoption, and adult protective services. Directly comparable as a much larger state government counterpart performing the same statutory child welfare functions DCFS performs in Nevada, including operating county-administered service models and CCWIS-equivalent systems.
• New York State Office of Children and Family Services: New York's state-level office overseeing child welfare, foster care, adoption, juvenile justice, and runaway/homeless youth services. Comparable as a comprehensive state government entity delivering an analogous portfolio of child welfare and juvenile justice services, with a similar mix of state-operated and county-administered components.
• Colorado Department of Human Services - Office of Children, Youth and Families: Colorado's child welfare division administering child protective services, foster care, adoption, and juvenile justice through 64 county-administered departments under state supervision. Directly comparable to Nevada DCFS in delivering state-supervised, county-administered child welfare services and managing a CCWIS for statewide case management.
• Florida Department of Children and Families: Florida's centralized state agency administering child welfare, adult protective services, mental health, substance abuse, and victim services through regional offices. Comparable in offering a multi-program mandate under a single state agency with similar Title IV-E/IV-B federal funding reliance and CCWIS operations.
• Texas Department of Family and Protective Services: Texas's state-level agency responsible for child protective services, foster care, adoption, and adult protective services. Comparable as a large, statewide child welfare authority operating under similar federal funding streams (Title IV-E/IV-B) and managing residential juvenile justice operations in addition to community-based services.
• Oregon Department of Human Services - Children, Adults, and Families Division: Oregon's centralized child welfare division operating CPS, foster care, adoption, and juvenile justice services statewide under a single state-administered model. Comparable in offering the same core child welfare programs as Nevada DCFS, with a similar rural/urban service delivery structure and federal funding framework.

Direct peers

• Arizona Department of Child Safety: Arizona's standalone state agency (separated from its umbrella human services department in 2014) responsible for CPS investigations, foster care, adoption, and child welfare case management statewide. Most directly comparable peer to Nevada DCFS due to similar population scale, regional service delivery model, and focus on child welfare as a standalone state entity.
• Utah Division of Child and Family Services: Utah's state-administered child welfare agency providing CPS, foster care, adoption, and juvenile services across the state. Comparable in name, scope, and population scale; uses a centralized state-administered model (unlike Nevada's bifurcated system), offering a useful contrast for benchmarking.
• Washoe County Human Services Agency: Washoe County's child welfare administrator receiving ~32% of Nevada CPS referrals and operating foster care/adoption services under DCFS oversight. Direct peer performing the same functions as DCFS in the Reno/Sparks metro area, completing Nevada's bifurcated child welfare system.
• Clark County Department of Family Services: Clark County's child welfare administrator that receives roughly 50% of Nevada CPS referrals and runs foster care and adoption services under DCFS state supervision. The closest direct operational peer, delivering essentially the same child welfare services as DCFS but in Nevada's largest urban county (Las Vegas/Henderson) under a state-supervised, county-administered model.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nevada-division-of-child-and-family-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Nevada Division of Child and Family Services