MISSION

Strengthening families to promote the well- being of children, youths and families.

 

VISION

All families in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianaswill be self-sufficient and self-reliant

​

​

MISSION & RESPONSIBILITIES

The Division of Youth Services (DYS) under the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs has numerous responsibilities that promote the well-being of children, youth, families, and the community as a whole. DYS has a distinguishing and unique feature which proves to be advantageous to the children, youth and families it serves: it is multifunctional and allows forcontinuity in services that would meet the diverse and often complex-ridden and multi-faceted problems and needs of the target populations.

​

The agency’s overall mission is to help strengthen families and to promote healthy child by practicing positive parenting skills. Its focus includes educational and preventative activities and services that provide children, youth, and families the opportunity to interact, to learn life skills, and to develop the ability to cope with challenges. The DYS has the responsibility to reduce child abuse & neglect, juvenile delinquency, youth violence, and other related problems plaguing families. 

​

The Division of Youth Services is tasked to handle numerous responsibilities andone of them is to assist in promoting the well-being of children, and youths referred for services by working with their families and the community. The division intervenes on reports of all forms of child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, truancy, runaway/homeless youth cases, juvenile delinquency, and youths remanded for secured care and control for their own protection and the protection of the community. As has been done in the past years, the division continues to provide a wide– range of services in the areas of prevention, intervention, youth development and empowerment, and rehabilitative programs for children, youth and families

​