Section 500. Office of children and family services; commissioner

1. There
  is hereby continued in the department of family assistance an autonomous
  office of children and family services. The head of such office shall be
  the commissioner of children and family services, who shall be appointed
  by  the  governor, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, and
  shall serve at the  pleasure  of  the  governor.  The  commissioner  may
  appoint  such  officers,  employees, agents and consultants as he or she
  may deem necessary, prescribe their duties, fix their  compensation  and
  provide for reimbursement of their expenses within the amounts available
  therefor by appropriation.
    2.  The commissioner may promulgate, adopt, amend or rescind rules and
  regulations necessary to carry  out  the  provisions  of  this  article,
  provided,  however,  that  such  rules and regulations shall be strictly
  limited in their application to the means and methods of compliance with
  the provisions of this article.
    3. Whenever the division for youth or its director is referred  to  in
  any  provision of this chapter or in any other law, such reference shall
  be deemed to refer to the office of children and family services or  the
  commissioner of children and family services.