On December 22nd, just before the end of the Congress, the Senate confirmed Rebecca Jones Gaston as the Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, at the Administration for Children and Families within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Before her appointment by President Biden to ACYF, Jones-Gaston was the Child Welfare Director for the State of Oregon’s Department of Human Services. Previously, she served as the Executive Director of the Maryland Department of Human Services’ Social Services Administration with oversight of child welfare and adult services. She has worked in the field of human services for nearly 25 years as a social worker, advocate, therapist, consultant, and administrator. She knows child welfare firsthand as she was adopted from foster care.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) said in a statement, “The mission of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families is to help vulnerable kids and their families stay safe and get ahead. This challenging work requires strong leadership in place, and Rebecca Jones Gaston is just the person for the job. I am especially grateful that she will take the torch in overseeing the implementation of my Family First Prevention Services Act and keeping more families together.”
