LA County Names New Director Overseeing Office For Children And Families

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has appointed Olivia Celis as executive director of the Office of Child, Youth and Family Well-Being, it was announced Monday.

Celis will lead the office, formerly known as the Office of Child Protection. The Office of Child, Youth and Family Well-Being was created in 2015 to improve the lives of children and families across the county by aligning systems, advancing policy and systems reform and strengthening family resilience.

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The appointment comes as the office implements its 2026 strategic plan, which sets goals for improving well-being outcomes for children and families across the county.

County Board Chair Hilda Solis welcomed Celis as the new leader of the office, saying her decades of experience will help strengthen county services for vulnerable families.

Solis said Celis' commitment to "serving some of our most vulnerable families will make a profound impact in strengthening the county's services, and ensuring that every family and every child can feel safe, protected and empowered."

Supervisor Holly Mitchell echoed Solis' sentiments, saying she looked forward to working with Celis to create pathways for families to achieve stability and opportunity.

Celis, a former senior director at Casey Family Programs, billed as the "nation's largest operating foundation focused on reducing the need for foster care in the United States," brings more than three decades of experience advancing child and family well-being.

At Casey Family Programs, Celis provided consulting services to child- and family-centered public programs across the country. She also served as a health equity consultant for the Los Angeles Center for Strategic Partnerships, where she established public-private collaborations on health- related projects.

Celis also spent more than a decade with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, providing services for at-risk children and their families, according to county officials.

"Safe, stable, and nurturing relationships are the foundation of lifelong well-being," Celis said in a statement. "My priority will be strengthening family resilience so children and families get support before a crisis, not only after. When we invest upstream, every child and family has a chance to feel safe, connected, and ready to thrive."

Celis earned master's degrees in social work and urban planning from UCLA and a bachelor's degree in social work from Cal State Los Angeles.

City News Service