40th Anniversary Symposium
Donald Brieland (January 1964 to November 1965)

Donald Brieland was not only the Department’s first Director, he was also an architect of its creation. Brieland’s tenure may has lasted fewer than two years, but his influence stretches back to the leadership role he plaid in the legislative commission that drew up plans for the nation’s for cabinet-level state child welfare agency. His early challenges as the first Director included staffing a statewide agency, adapting services to meet real world needs, building new relations ships with private agencies and creating a new system of rules that covered issues that ranged from child protection to disability services to maintaining veterans homes.