Administration for Children and Families

Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Leadership and Program Offices

Government · Functional structure · 2K employees · Washington, DC

8
Agency head span
↓ tighter than peers (avg 9)
4
Avg span
moderate
3
Max depth
3 levels

Interactive org chart

Administration for Children and Families organizational chart

Explore the agency leadership model, component structure, and reporting layers from official public sources.

Open editable chart

ACF is an HHS program office overseeing federal child, family, and community service programs through specialized offices and regional operations nationwide. It administers major grant programs supporting vulnerable populations.

What to model

Use the chart to test org decisions, not just view reporting lines

Start with the public baseline, then use the scenario views and source-backed changes to ask what happens when leadership, span, or team ownership shifts.

Scenario views in the chart

  • Add Cross-Program Data and AI Office Model adding a small cross-cutting data and AI governance office under the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary to coordinate analytics across program offices.
  • Reassign Emergency Preparedness Evaluate moving the Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response to report directly to the Assistant Secretary during crisis periods.

Atlas work this supports

The people

Key leaders and offices

5 senior leadership roles or offices from official public sources. Use this section as a current agency-leadership index, not a private-company filing table.

Alex J. Adams

Assistant Secretary

Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary

1,500 reports

Cody Inman

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary

Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary

13 reports

Martha Verno

Chief of Staff

Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary

0 reports

Fred Cooper

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy

Policy

0 reports

Ben Goldhaber

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration

Office of Administration

0 reports

The operating model

How Administration for Children and Families divides the work

4 offices, branches, or components organize the agency mission. Tile size scales with estimated staff where public estimates exist.

Administration on Children, Youth, and Families

p6

Oversees child welfare, youth, and family programs including the Children’s Bureau and FYSB.

Administration for Native Americans

p7

Supports social and economic development for Native American communities.

Office of Head Start

p11

Administers Head Start and Early Head Start programs for early childhood education.

Office of Refugee Resettlement

Open Role

Provides support for refugee and unaccompanied children resettlement and services.

The agency brief

What this U.S. agency structure tells us

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is a program office within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services responsible for administering federal programs that promote the economic and social well-being of children, families, and communities. Led by an Assistant Secretary who reports to the HHS Secretary, ACF is structured around specialized program offices focused on child welfare, early childhood education, family assistance, refugee resettlement, and community services. Its structure is distinctive in balancing centralized policy and administrative leadership with semi-autonomous program offices that manage large federal grant portfolios and provide oversight to states, tribes, territories, and local partners.
  • Large number of specialized program offices
  • Strong reliance on regional operations and grant administration

The comparison

Compare with related agencies

Compared with other HHS operating divisions such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) or the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), ACF is more grant- and service-delivery oriented, focusing on social services rather than health insurance or clinical care. Like HRSA, it relies heavily …

Senior office count

Reporting depth

Administration for Children and Families
3 levels

Current signals

What changed recently

No recent leadership changes documented in the provided official sources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who leads Administration for Children and Families?

The Administration for Children and Families is led by the Assistant Secretary, currently Alex J. Adams.

What does Administration for Children and Families do?

ACF administers federal programs that promote the economic and social well-being of children, families, and communities through grants, policy guidance, and oversight.

What are the major offices or components of Administration for Children and Families?

Major components include the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families; Administration for Native Americans; Office of Head Start; Office of Child Care; and Office of Refugee Resettlement, among others.

Who does Administration for Children and Families report to?

ACF is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and reports to the HHS Secretary.

How can this org chart be used for planning or comparison?

The org chart helps policymakers, partners, and analysts understand ACF’s governance structure, leadership span of control, and how program offices align with mission priorities.

Sources

Reference

Cite this page

If you reference this page in research, analysis, or news writing, use one of the formats below. Citation includes the SEC filing source where applicable.

APA 7th
Creately. (2026). Administration for Children and Families organizational structure. Creately. Retrieved , from https://creately.com/org-chart/us-government/administration-for-children-and-families/
MLA 9th
"Administration for Children and Families Organizational Structure." Creately, April 1, 2026, https://creately.com/org-chart/us-government/administration-for-children-and-families/. Accessed .
Chicago 17
Creately. "Administration for Children and Families Organizational Structure." Last modified April 1, 2026. https://creately.com/org-chart/us-government/administration-for-children-and-families/.

Permanent URL: https://creately.com/org-chart/us-government/administration-for-children-and-families/ · last updated 2026-04-01

Turn this agency structure into an Atlas workspace. Model reporting lines, compare components, and test scenario plans from an official public baseline.