Olivia Celis previously served as senior director of system improvement at Casey Family Programs. (photo by Diandra Jay)

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has appointed Olivia Celis as executive director of the county’s Office of Child, Youth and Family Well-Being, formerly known as the Office of Child Protection.

Celis will oversee the office as it implements its 2026 Strategic Plan, which establishes goals for improving outcomes for children and families throughout Los Angeles County. Her responsibilities include coordinating county systems, developing prevention strategies and building partnerships among government agencies, community organizations and families.

“Safe, stable and nurturing relationships are the foundation of lifelong well-being,” Celis said. “My priority will be strengthening family resilience so children and families get support before a crisis, not only after.”

Celis has more than three decades of experience in child and family services, including work focused on prevention and system-level reform. Before her appointment, she served as senior director of system improvement at Casey Family Programs, where she provided consulting services to public programs serving children and families nationwide.

She previously worked as a health equity consultant for the Los Angeles Center for Strategic Partnerships, developing public-private collaborations on health initiatives, including the COVID-19 response. Celis also has more than a decade of experience with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, where she specialized in services for at-risk children and their families.

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda L. Solis, 1st District, said Celis’ experience will support the county’s efforts to strengthen services for children and families.

“Her decades of experience and commitment to serving some of our most vulnerable families will make a profound impact in strengthening the county’s services and ensuring that every family and every child can feel safe, protected and empowered,” Solis said.

Supervisor Janice Hahn, 4th District, said the office’s emphasis on providing assistance before families experience crises is particularly important.

“We can save families a lot of pain and heartache if we can get them the help they need before a crisis, and that’s the fundamental goal of this office,” Hahn said.

Celis holds master’s degrees in social work and urban planning from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in social work from California State University, Los Angeles.