Hon. January Contreras

January Contreras is the Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Assistant Secretary Contreras was appointed by President Biden and confirmed by the United State Senate with bipartisan support. In her role, she works under the leadership of HHS Secretary Becerra to strengthen the well-being of the nation’s children and families with a focus on prevention, safety, economic stability and equity. She does so alongside ACF’s 1,500 employees and in partnership with state, tribal, territorial and local governments, as well as a diverse network of non-profit and philanthropic organizations.

Throughout her career, Assistant Secretary Contreras has been motivated by a sense of duty to children, families and individuals, especially when they are facing their most difficult moments. For more than 20 years, Assistant Secretary Contreras has championed safety, stability and opportunity for children, youth and families. She most recently was a non-profit executive, leading a legal aid center for children and young adults experiencing abuse, neglect, human trafficking, family separation and homelessness. Assistant Secretary Contreras previously served in the Obama-Biden Administration as Ombudsman for Citizenship and Immigration Services at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and as a designee to the White House Council on Women and Girls. In these roles she led efforts to launch new federal training and guidance to ensure immigrant victims of domestic violence and other crimes are treated with the same dignity and protection all victims deserve.

At the state level, Assistant Secretary Contreras oversaw the Arizona Department of Health Services after serving as Assistant Director of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, Arizona’s Medicaid agency. She was a member of Governor Janet Napolitano’s Children’s Cabinet, as well as the Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Board. She is a former Deputy County Attorney and Assistant Attorney General.