Gov. Ricketts has announced the appointment of Stephanie Beasley of Indiana as the next Director of Children and Family Services (CFS) Division for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Beasley currently works as the Chief Operating Officer of Adult & Child Health serving central Indiana.
“Stephanie will be a great asset to the Department,” said Governor Ricketts. “She has expansive frontline and executive experience that will serve the division well as she works with staff, as they help children and families live better lives. We are excited to welcome her to our team here in Nebraska.”
Under the leadership of Governor Ricketts, Nebraska has led the nation in child welfare policy. Recently, Nebraska was one of the first states to launch the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) initiative. Last week, First Lady Susanne Shore and DHHS CEO Dannette R. Smith were in Seattle to accept the Jim Casey Building Communities of Hope Award for the Bring Up Nebraska program.
Beasley is a graduate of Indiana University where she received her Bachelor of Science in in Criminal Justice and Sociology and her Master of Social Work. She began her career in child welfare providing direct services to children and families in Indiana. During her tenure with Indiana Department of Child Services, she served in many roles over more than 13 years. She oversaw programs for Indiana in Independent Living, Foster Care, Special Needs Adoptions, Policy, Quality Assurance and was lead for the Indiana Child and Family Services Review (CFSR). She later served as the Director of Child Welfare for Marion County (Indianapolis) and then was the Deputy Director for Field Operations leading the provision of child welfare services in 92 counties.
“Stephanie is a real find for us,” said DHHS CEO Smith. “She has the compassion, energy and a depth of knowledge needed to do this work. I am confident that she will be able to quickly integrate with the team and provide valuable insight and oversight to CFS.”
“I am extremely excited to work with the DHHS team and Dannette. She is a magnetic person and committed leader,” said Beasley. “Each time I spoke with her and the team I got more and more excited as their passion for the safety of vulnerable children and strengthening of families underscores my life’s mission.”
Beasley’s first day as CFS Director will be February 24, 2020.
