Wyoming Department of Family Services

Wyoming is hoping to use newly available federal funds to improve its guarantees of representation to children and parents involved in child welfare proceedings. The two proposals working their way through Wyoming’s Judiciary Committee would move child representation out of the Office of State Public Defenders, and establish a standalone office.

As the state ramps up its legislative session, Wyoming lawmakers are considering a merger of the state departments of Health and Family Services. When Director Tom Forslund took on the oversight of the Department of Family Services last year, in addition to his position as director of the Department of Health, he was asked by the governor and lawmakers to look into what it would look like to merge the two entities.