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The department for Children and Social Protection is responsible for policies and programs targeted at children, the physically challenged, elderly, marginalized, the vulnerable, disadvantaged and excluded groups;
The Deputy Minister for Children and Social Protection, under the direction of the Minister, shall have responsibility for the management of the Ministry’s functions and activities and provide leadership to the development of its policies and programs. The duties of the Deputy Minister for Children and Social Protection shall be as follows:

• Manage the Ministry’s children and social protection functions and activities;
• Advise the Minister on children and social protection issues;
• Provide leadership in the development of policies, strategies, and guidelines on children and social protection issues;
• Provide leadership in developing and coordinating the implementation of national programs that attend to the issues related to extremely poor families, children, vulnerable, disabled, elderly, excluded and marginalized groups;
•  Provide leadership in identifying, locating and reaching children, vulnerable, disabled, elderly, excluded and marginalized groups;
•  Coordinate the preparation of reports required by national and international bodies and treaties on children, vulnerable, disabled, elderly, excluded and marginalized groups;
• Lead advocacy on the rights of children, vulnerable, disabled, elderly, excluded and marginalized groups;
• Prepare and implement information, education and communication (IEC) national programs on children, vulnerable, disabled, elderly, excluded and marginalized groups;
• Foster the development of children and social protection community-based groups;
• Regulate the operations of orphanages, children homes, foster and alternative care and the adoption of children;
• Develop guidelines on standards of care and operations for rehabilitation institutions;
• Assist the Minister to regulate and provide policy guidelines for the operations of orphanages and children’s homes, foster and alternative care programs
• Perform such other duties that are incidental to being the Deputy Minister for Children and Social Protection; and
• Perform duties the Minister may, from time to time, assign to the Office of Deputy Minister for Children and Social Protection.

The Office of the Assistant Minister provides remarkable policies, programs and technical support to the DMCSP. The AMCSP also supervises and manages the workforce, as well as puts in place a work culture and ethics that promote cordiality, harmony, mutual respect, and institutional cohesion that boost employees’ morale. Currently, Hon. Maminah Carr serves as Assistant Minister for Children and Social Protection.

The Division of Social Protection has the responsibility to improve social protection system for effective and efficient service delivery across the country.
The Division creates the synergy with other ministries, agencies and corporations of the government of Liberia as well as national and international partners that are providing social protection services.
Internally, the Division links all divisions and units to enhance a better working relationship on social protection and manages all social protection programs.

The Children Protection and Development Division within the Children and Social Protection department has the mandate to ensure that all children in need of care and protection received quality case management and alternative care services.
These services are implemented through its five units: Juvenile Unit, Persistent Non-Support, Orphanage Unit, Family Perseverance, and Adoption and Forster Care Unit.

The Social Assistance Division within the Department of Children and Social Protection is clothed with the authority to provide the following, protect and advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities, the elderly, and the communities and provide psychosocial support to vulnerable children and their families.
This division has four units which include Rehabilitation Unit, Psychosocial Unit, Community Welfare and Ageing/Elderly Unit.

Lydia-Mai Sherman is a professional Social Worker with over 25 years of experience. She has a Masters in Social Work and Policy at Howard University and a Bachelors in Psychology and Social Work from University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She worked as a Mental Health Counselor in the United States for over 10 years.

She returned home in 2007 and worked with the SES program as a Consultant to Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (Now Ministry of Health) and the Ministry of Gender and Development (Now Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection). She was then appointed Deputy Minister for Children and Social Protection in 2014. Passionate about children, old folks and people living with disabilities, her current position is a natural fit.

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