Get acquainted with leadership staff from the Office of Head Start (OHS) at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Lizbeth Casco White, JD, MFT, director
Lizbeth Casco White serves as the director of OHS at ACF. Appointed in March 2026, Director White leads with a families-first philosophy, dedicated to ensuring that every child is seen, safe, and supported. She couples this deep personal commitment with more than 20 years of executive leadership and hands-on oversight of program delivery and fiscal stewardship, ensuring that public resources are managed with the highest level of accountability to best serve the families and communities who rely on them.
Prior to her federal appointment, Director White served under Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin as the deputy secretary of Labor and assistant secretary of Health and Human Resources. In these roles, she directed regulatory reforms and oversaw 12 state agencies. Her leadership prioritized workforce safety and development alongside maternal health initiatives—all designed to move families toward economic self-sufficiency.
Director White’s expertise spans the full continuum of family support. She began her journey as a Head Start parent, then went on to serve as a Head Start program director, and later managed a multi-year Quality Improvement Network supporting early childhood providers across Washington, DC. Director White spearheaded the implementation of Help Me Grow in DC, creating a district-wide infrastructure to connect families to vital developmental and mental health services. Her commitment to early intervention is further reflected in her experience with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Child Find programs, ensuring that children with specialized needs are identified and supported at the earliest possible stage.
Throughout her career, Director White has been an unwavering advocate for vulnerable people. Her work in the justice system, including prosecuting crimes against children, deeply informs her mission to protect the interests of the next generation. This commitment extended to Director White’s work with juvenile offenders, where she focused on re-acclimation and life-skills training, and to her specialized consulting on the programmatic needs of survivors of human trafficking. Whether facilitating a path toward healing or breaking the cycle of re-incarceration, she remains dedicated to ensuring that every individual has a foundation of safety and health.
Director White holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Development, a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, and a Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University School of Law. She believes that strong, empowered parents are the best architects of their children’s success. She lives in Virginia with her husband, Jack, to whom she has been married for over 20 years, and is the proud mother of three children.
