Kara Wente

In August 2023, Governor Mike DeWine nominated Kara B. Wente to be the Director of the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY). 

Kara has spent her career advocating for children. Before being nominated to lead DCY, she served as the Director of the Governor’s Children’s Initiative and was the Chief Operating Officer for Future Ready Columbus. With more than 20 years in dedicated state service, Kara has extensive experience in serving the most vulnerable children and families in Ohio. She used data as an accountability tool for systemic change during her time as the Assistant Director of Health and Human Services at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and led several large-scale system and policy changes as Deputy Director at the Office of Family Assistance.

Kara’s hometown is Celina, Ohio, but she currently lives in Dublin. She holds a Master’s in Education and Allied Professions from the University of Dayton and a Bachelor's in Psychology from The Ohio State University.