Vannessa Dorantes
Commissioner
Department of Children and Families
Vannessa L Dorantes LMSW has worked for the State of CT’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) since 1992 after receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Teikyo Post University. She later earned a Master’s degree in Social Work from the UCONN School of Social Work where she majored in Casework and Community Organization.
From 2004 until appointment as commissioner, she was an adjunct faculty member at Central CT State University where she has taught several elective and core competency Social Work courses including: Human Behavior in the Social Environment I& II, Social Welfare Policy & Services II, Communities, Child Welfare I & II as well as a cultural competency course. She has served on the SW Advisory Boards of Central and western CT State Universities and currently the UCONN School of Social Work Board of Advocates.
As a licensed, Master Social Worker, Dorantes is also certified in Social Work field instruction from Southern CT State University and has supervised countless undergraduate and graduate level interns in Social Work and related fields from various universities in CT and neighboring states.
Within DCF, she has held just about every position in the Social Work job class series. In 2014, she was appointed as Regional Administrator to the state’s northwest corner— a CT DCF region that encompasses 43 diverse cities and towns. Dorantes also served as a tri-chair of DCF’s Statewide Racial Justice Workgroup which has chronicled the Department’s journey in two national webinar series.
In January 2019, Dorantes proudly accepted Governor Ned Lamont’s nomination and was confirmed as the state of CT’s first African American DCF Commissioner where she oversees the Department’s 3,200 staff members.
As DCF Commissioner she coChairs CT’s Alcohol & Drug Policy Council and the Health & Safety subcommittee for the Gov’s Council on Women & Girls.
It is her mission to reinforce the expectation that the Department of Children and Families’ staff Practice with Pride, Passion and Purpose together with People and Partners across the larger child welfare service delivery system.
“The urgency of Child Time is of critical importance. We must all work together now to improve
Session
Keynote Panel: Systemic Inequities Revealed by Covid
November 10 from 11:00-12:00pm