The philosophy of the Children's Services Act Office is based on the belief that it’s most important community responsibility is the well-being of children. Children belong with families who nurture and protect them, children deserve healthy relationships, and that families deserve to live in safe environments.

The purpose of the program is to ensure services and funding are consistent with the Commonwealth’s policies of preserving families and providing appropriate services in the least restrictive environment while protecting the welfare of children and maintaining the safety of the public, to identify and intervene early with young children and their families who are at risk of developing emotional or behavioral problems, or both, due to environmental, physical or psychological stress, to design and provide services that are responsive to the unique and diverse strengths and needs of troubled youths and families, increase interagency collaboration and family involvement in service delivery and management, to encourage a public and private partnership in the delivery of services to troubled and at-risk youths and their families, and provide communities flexibility in the use of funds and to authorize communities to make decisions and be accountable for providing services in concert with these purposes.