Office of the Commissioner
The mission of the Department of Family and Community Services is "To provide support, safety, and personal well-being for vulnerable Alaskans."
The Department of Family and Community Services (DFCS) will oversee and improve our child welfare system and 24/7 facilities providing direct services to Alaskans. Alaska Psychiatric Institute (API) and the Alaska Pioneer Homes (AKPH) provide care for patients and elders, and when eligible can bill Medicaid for the services provided – in much the same way that hospitals and clinics work. The Division of Juvenile Justice works to rehabilitate youth offenders while holding them accountable.
It’s a difficult prospect to come up with a logo that accurately portrays the critical services performed by DFCS Divisions. The Executive Leadership team researched and looked at other states and found that child welfare and social service agencies don’t usually have an image in their logo, as it’s a difficult subject area to display.
Taking that input the graphics team came up with a strong alternative logo that differentiates itself from other Alaska department logos. Instead of being formatted in a circle, it is a horizontal layout to clearly display the name of the department, but also bold lettering to highlight the letters “DFCS.”
The words are adjacent to an image representing families and communities working hand-in-hand and showing the diversity both in peoples and geography of our great state. For if we are to achieve our mission of providing support, safety, and personal well-being for vulnerable Alaskans, then it will take all groups to work together to make it so.
Initiatives
Complex Care Initiatives: DFCS-DOH Joint Annual Update (2024)
The Department of Family and Community Services (DFCS) and the Department of Health (DOH) are partnering to ensure a coordinated system that delivers compassionate, timely, and person-centered care for individuals with complex behavioral and medical needs.
Commissioner Kim Kovol
Kim Kovol serves as commissioner for the Alaska Department of Family and Community Services (DFCS). She moved to Alaska over 26 years ago and has lived a traditional military family life, transferring and moving both internationally and within the Lower 48. She has over 25 years of experience in the private sector in executive leadership, management, operating licensed childcare facilities, organizational development and restructure, logistics, and working in the human and social services realm with youth and adults. She is both passionate and compassionate when addressing the needs of vulnerable populations, as seen through her efforts with various non-profit organizations in Alaska focused on children, hunger, and homelessness.
Prior to being appointed commissioner, Kovol was Special Assistant to Governor Dunleavy with a social services portfolio focusing on Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons, Human and Sex Trafficking, Homelessness, Foster care, Early Childcare, Eldercare, Opioids / Fentanyl, and Suicide Prevention.
Kovol has a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and studies (K-8 Education) from San Diego State University and a Master of Social Work from University Alaska Anchorage. She is a 2018 - 2019 LEND Fellow through UAA with a focus on navigating Autism in Alaska. Kovol is also a huge Star Wars fan and appears regularly at community events as “Asajj Ventress” with the 501st Legion / Alaska Garrison – Aurora Borealis. At every opportunity she has time, you can find her bow hunting (donating 100% of harvested game to local soup kitchens), riding a Harley Davidson with her beloved dog, and “mom-ing” to three Alaskan born and raised children, ages 22, 21, and 18.
Requests for scheduling appointments or invitations for the Commissioner can made by sending an e-mail to: fcs.comm.scheduling@alaska.gov
Mailing address:
PO Box 112600
Juneau, AK 99811-2600