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Deputy Commissioner, Administration for Children’s Services, Division of Child and Family Well-Being, City of New York

Lorelei Atalie Vargas serves as deputy commissioner for child and family well-being with the City of New York’s Administration for Children’s Services. Lorelei is responsible for administering the agency’s first division dedicated to using a two generation approach to strengthen programs, leverage existing resources and build on the assets that are inherent in the children and families of New York City. Lorelei also oversees the country’s largest publicly-funded subsidized early care and education system, serving the needs of close to 110,000 children with a budget of close to $1 billion annually, where she has successfully led reforms, including expanding access, implementing a trauma informed care model across the system, and creating a program that pays for and encourages parents to pursue careers in child care. Lorelei has over two decades of experience in the non-profit sector with a strong focus on improving education and helping to strengthen the lives of children and families. Prior to her current appointment, Lorelei served as vice president and chief strategy officer for the non-profit Andrus, where she oversaw the expansion of mental health and child care services; managed the development and expansion of the Sanctuary Institute for organizational trauma informed care; and launched an award winning education campaign to raise awareness of the long-term poor health outcomes associated with childhood adversity. Fully bilingual in English and Spanish Lorelei earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Bryn Mawr College and holds two master degrees, one in public policy and one in education administration and policy, both from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow. She is a Fellow of the 20th class of the Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.