Deckert expected to be approved to lead Department of Children, Youth and Families

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Ashley Deckert, Gov. Dan McKee’s nomination for director of the Department of Children, Youth and Families, is expected to be approved to lead the agency.

Deckert was nominated in April by McKee. She has over 16 years of experience in various sectors of child welfare.

“She is an experienced leader with a proven track record, and I am grateful she is bringing that knowledge and experience Rhode Island,” McKee said last month.

Deckert started her career as a foster care child welfare specialist in Illinois and spent 13 years at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

In Illinois, Deckert is involved in an ongoing civil lawsuit surrounding a child’s death, according to court records.

If approved, she will be the first permanent director in nearly four years.