About ORO

What We Do

An Introduction to ORO by Director Diann Dawson

The Office of Regional Operations advises the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families on all strategic and operational activities related to implementing the agency's national goals and priorities at the regional level.

ORO oversees the performance of the Offices of the Regional Administrators (ORA) on all coordination of cross-cutting and special emphasis programs and initiatives, emergency preparedness, tribal government relations, State, and local ACF-related affairs, and administrative functions in Regions I-X by the Offices of the Regional Administrators (ORA) The Office of Regional Operations is headed by the Director, who reports to the Assistant Secretary for Children & Families. 

Regional Offices

The ORAs are located in the ten DHHS Regional Offices:

Region I (Boston)
Region II (New York)
Region III (Philadelphia)
Region IV (Atlanta)
Region V (Chicago)
Region VI (Dallas)
Region VII (Kansas City)
Region VIII (Denver)
Region IX (San Francisco)
Region X (Seattle)

Each Regional office is led by a Regional Administrator who works with our Central Office in Washington, D.C. to facilitate a more comprehensive awareness of the ACF-related work being carried out for children and families nationwide. The Regional Administrators:
(1) Oversee the management of ACF regional staff in the ORA
(2) Coordinate activities across regional programs
(3) Ensure that goals and objectives are carried out
(4) Apprise Central Office ACF Program Directors to problems and issues that may have significant regional or national impact

The Regional Administrators also work to strengthen our partnerships with other HHS operating divisions, federal agencies, states, tribes, territories, cities and communities on which so many ACF Programs depend.