Renee Ciconte began her career in juvenile justice with the Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services in 2000 as a family service specialist/juvenile probation officer. A year later, Renee was promoted to Senior Probation and Parole Officer and joined the Serious Juvenile Offender Unit. During her time in the SJO unit, she assisted in developing and implementing the Division’s Absconder Apprehension and Electronic Monitoring programs.

In 2005, Renee was promoted to Family Crisis Therapist Supervisor at Snowden/Grace Cottages and, in 2007, she became a Family Services Program Support Administrator supervising the statewide Family Court Liaison Unit. In late 2007, Renee was promoted to Regional Manager in YRS Community Services. During her time as Regional Manager, she initiated and managed the Gun Court and the Inappropriate Sexual Behavior Units. Renee was a member of numerous initiatives and task forces including Operation Pressure Point, State Truancy Task Force, Sex Offender Management Board, and the US Attorney General’s Office Project Safe Neighborhoods/Anti-Gang Advisory Task Force.

In 2012, Renee joined Family Court as the New Castle County Director of Operations. In her role as the Director of Operations, she was responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of Family Court to include case processing, security, intake/filing, records, call center, mediation and the Commissioners Unit. She was also responsible for managing the scheduling of all criminal calendars as well as the Commissioners’ calendars in line with speedy trial and IV-E guidelines. In July of 2017, Renee left Family Court to return to the Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services as Deputy Director of the Division overseeing the secure care facilities (Ferris School, New Castle County Detention Center, Residential Cottages and Stevenson House Detention Center). In December 2021, Renee was named Director of the Division. Her wide-ranging experience in both secure care and community services settings is an asset to the Delaware Children’s Department as well as juvenile justice reform.  

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