TRENTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee today unanimously approved the nomination of Kevin Ryan to be Commissioner of the Department of Children and Families.
The 10-0 vote sent the nomination of Ryan to the full Senate where a floor vote could be held as early as next Monday, Sept. 25th.
“Kevin Ryan should be an excellent commissioner to lead this new department,” said Senator Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen, a member of the panel. “He (Ryan) is concerned, competent and compassionate and he’s lived a life of helping children. That’s a good combination of qualifications.”
After becoming the State’s first Child Advocate, Ryan served briefly as Commissioner of the Department of Human Services. He also served as Chief of Staff for the Department and prior to that he worked for 10 years with Covenant House, helping homeless youths in Newark, Atlantic City and New York.
The new Department, with a $1.4 billion total budget and 6,600 employees, was created in July and includes child protection services, adoptions, mental health services for children in State care and the regulation of child care centers and foster homes.