DCFS Opens New Office in DeSoto Parish for Child Welfare, Economic Stability

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is opening a new office in DeSoto Parish for Child Welfare and Economic Stability services. The office, located at 104 Crosby Street in Mansfield, will be open to clients beginning today, Monday, August 9.

DCFS occupies the back portion of the building currently housing the DeSoto Parish Registrar of Voters. Some visitors may know this as the building where the DeSoto Parish Health Unit was formerly located. The DCFS office entrance is on the south side of the building.

Twenty DCFS offices were closed or consolidated in 2010 because of cost-saving measures, including the previous DeSoto Parish office. There are still 18 parishes without a DCFS office.

“Rep. Larry Bagley brought this to us as a need for the community, and we’re so glad that he did and happy that it’s finally coming to fruition,” said DCFS Secretary Marketa Garner Walters. “This office will allow us to work more closely with local officials and law enforcement and to better serve the families and children in that area. It had been a challenge to serve the community because of the distance to the nearest office. We are grateful for the partnership and support of local officials, including the DeSoto Parish Police Jury, whose generosity made it possible for us to locate an office in this building.”

“DeSoto Parish is excited to welcome DCFS back to the parish. The children and families of DeSoto Parish and the surrounding areas deserve to have this access to the resources that DCFS provides and we’ve worked for a long time to make the reopening of this office a reality,” Bagley said. “We look forward to working together with both our state and local partners to serve and protect these children and families.”

The opening of the office was made possible through partnering with DeSoto Parish’s local officials who recognized the need for a DCFS office in the area. Parish officials assisted in having the office renovated, the leasing of the office space and arranged for the agreement to share the space between DCFS and the registrar of voters.

“We are extremely happy to have this office back in DeSoto Parish. Not only does it provide a service for the children and families of the parish, but it also provides a service to the school district, the judges and other officials who are helping those children and families,” said Steve Brown, DeSoto Parish Police Jury administrator. “We are thankful for the work that was done to get this office opened.”

The new office will serve clients in DCFS's Child Welfare and Economic Stability programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP) and Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP).

Know Before You Go

DeSoto Parish DCFS Office

104 Crosby Street

Mansfield, LA 71052

Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday

Phone:  318-575-5339

Fax:  318-872-2468

COVID Restrictions:  Social distancing and use of facial coverings are required while visiting DCFS offices. Due to the 6-foot guideline for distancing, the DeSoto office lobby will accommodate only 2 visitors at a time. Thank you for your patience.