About Commissioner Jodi Hill-Lilly
Jodi Hill-Lilly was nominated by Governor Ned Lamont to be the Commissioner of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) in December 2023.
She is a proud social worker with over 35 years of dedicated service to children and families served by the Child Welfare system on both a local and national level.
Commissioner Hill-Lilly received her bachelor’s degree and a master's degree from Southern Connecticut State University while graduating with honors.
She began her career as a caseload-carrying social worker providing direct care to CT’s most vulnerable populations during the crack and AIDs epidemics. During this time, DCF social workers had over 50 families on their caseloads - experiences that shaped her view of this work.
Commissioner Hill-Lilly has extensive national experience. Among a few are conducting Federal Child and Family Services Reviews where she audited the Child Welfare practice of over 13 jurisdictions. Additionally, as a consultant with the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute, she trained and coached hundreds of Child Welfare leaders from across the country.
At the Capacity Building Center for States in Washington, D.C., Commissioner Hill-Lilly served as a consultant to help public Child Welfare organizations and professionals build the capacity necessary to strengthen, implement, and sustain effective Child Welfare practices and achieve better outcomes for children, youth, and families.
Following the death of Freddie Gray, Commissioner Hill-Lilly provided consultation and support to a multidisciplinary cohort of professionals selected to receive intensive technical assistance for a grant-funded project aimed at creating a trauma-informed human service community in the city of Baltimore.
At the American Humane Association in Denver, Colorado, Commissioner Hill-Lilly provided supervisory training for various Child Welfare agencies across the United States.
Commissioner Hill-Lilly currently serves as Co-Chair of the National Partnership for Child Safety (NPCS). NPCS is a quality improvement collaborative of 39 jurisdictions, including Connecticut, representing nearly 70% of children involved with public Child Protection systems nationwide.
Commissioner Hill-Lilly has served on the board of Southern Connecticut State University School of Social Work (2004-present), Saint Joseph College School of Social Work (2009-Present), University of Connecticut School of Social Work Field Internship (2009-2017), National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (2016-2023), National Staff Development and Training Association (2016-2019), Southern Connecticut State University Alumni Board (2020-2023), and Grace Academy (2020-2023).
Commissioner Hill-Lilly is most recognized for her work in Connecticut around Racial Justice and Workforce Development. She serves as the Executive Sponsor for the Racial Justice work in CTDCT that has received national recognition and most recently was recognized by the Commission on Racial Equity in Public Health in Connecticut.
Workforce Development is at the heart of Commissioner Jodi Hill-Lilly's passion. Her motto is "Help the people who help the people"
While the Director of the Academy for Workforce Development, she started the Mentoring Program Leadership Academy for Middle Managers and the Leadership Academy for Social Work Supervisors. As Deputy Commissioner for Administration, she developed the inaugural Executive Fellowship Program.
During over three decades of work on the DCF front lines, as well as in the central office and nationally, Commissioner Hill-Lilly has been acknowledged by receiving the Distinguished Citizen Award by the West Haven Black Coalition (2024), The Constance Renee Wilson Collins Exceptional Woman Award (2024), the 100 Women of Color Award (2020), the National Staff Development and Training Association Distinguished Service Award (2019), and the Minority Adoption Leadership Development Institute Mentor Award (2008).
Commissioner Hill-Lilly recently completed the prestigious Anne. E Casey Foundation Fellowship Executive Preparation Program where after two years of leadership development, she became a member among 150 cutting-edge leaders in Child Welfare across the country.
As Commissioner of DCF, she manages an annual operating budget of almost a billion dollars, including state and federal funds. The workforce includes approximately 3,200 members across two children's psychiatric facilities, 14 field offices, a central oaffice, and an adventure-based clinically-support Wilderness School.
Commissioner Hill-Lilly co-chairs Connecticut's alcohol & drug policy council and is an active member of the governor's council on women & girls.
Commissioner Hill-Lilly is a proud member of the farmington valley chapter of the links Inc., the fairfield chapter of the chum Inc., and an alumni member of the greater hartford chapter of jack and jill of america Inc., national organizations aimed at serving her community.