Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services - About Us
MDCPS is the leading child welfare agency for the State of Mississippi. Our vision is that Mississippi’s children will grow up in strong families, safe from harm and supported through partnerships to promote family stability and permanency.
Our mission is to lead Mississippi’s efforts in keeping children and youth safe and thriving by: strengthening families; preventing child abuse, neglect and exploitation; and promoting child and family well-being and permanent family connections.
MDCPS has more than 1,200 frontline caseworkers, adoption and licensure specialists and supervisors working with children and families all across Mississippi. We have offices in all 82 counties as well as a State Office support center in Jackson.
Commissioner Andrea Sanders was appointed as the agency’s leader in November 2020 by Gov. Tate Reeves. MDCPS was established as a stand-alone agency in 2016 by the Mississippi Legislature, separating our child welfare responsibilities from the Mississippi Department of Human Services.
MDCPS provides in-home services to families in need of support as well as foster care and adoption services. The agency recruits and licenses foster families to care for children who are unable to safely remain in their homes while caseworkers work with the families to address needs and issues. Reunification is the first permanency goal for all children and the agency works with local Youth Courts to return children to their families as swiftly as possible whenever it is safe and recommended to do so. If a child cannot be safely returned to a parent, the agency then works with the court to develop a timely permanency plan which typically leads to an adoption of the child.
MDCPS partners with the court system and state/local service providers to offer a continuum of care for Mississippi’s children and families.
