13 Fellows Chosen for Fiscal Leadership Circle

Foster America is pleased to announce 13 finance professionals selected to join the 2024 Fiscal Leadership Circle.

Each fellow holds a leadership position within a public child welfare system or family-focused community organization and is dedicated to advancing fiscal strategies in the child welfare sector.

The 12-month hybrid fellowship aims to help finance professionals imagine and implement new ways to direct funding toward prevention programming that keeps children safely at home with their families, reducing the need to place children in foster care.

“The Fiscal Leadership Circle amplifies the impact of child welfare agencies by strategically leveraging funding to expand services, inform best practices, and prioritize child and family wellness,” said Brian Clapier, Foster America Senior Director of Programs.

Each fellow has selected a project they will advance over the course of the fellowship.

2024 Fiscal Fellows/Projects:

Director Ryan Adams (IA), Iowa Family Resource Collaborative: Develop funding pipelines for the coordination and expansion of family resource centers in Iowa. 

Federal Review Program Manager Jennifer Anderson (DC), District of Columbia Child and Family Services: Develop pipelines to maximize Title IV-E funding related to the implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act.

Senior Director Kevin Clark (CA), Good Rivers Partners: Develop the Foster Youth Housing Pipeline Fund, which establishes a public-private partnership to provide subsidized housing to pregnant or parenting youth in care and prevent foster youth homelessness. 

Finance Director Courtney Jurbala (CO), Division of Child Welfare: Expand available prevention funding for Colorado counties.  

Strategic Initiatives Supervisor Dustin Koury (WI), Wisconsin Department of Children and Families: Identify ongoing funding for the Family Keys Program, a pilot addressing housing needs for families at risk of child welfare involvement. 

Assistant Professor and Safe Systems Practitioner Tiffany Lindsey (UKY), University of Kentucky, National Partnership for Child Safety: Develop funding pipelines for jurisdictions implementing strategies to decrease child fatalities (with a special focus on substance-exposed newborns).

Lead Policy Analyst Samuel Matteson (WI), Wisconsin Department of Children and Families: Incorporate prevention services into the biennial budget request for the purposes of increasing prevention services and decreasing the use of out-of-home placement.  

Principal Planning Analyst Kara McFadden (PA), Allegheny County Department of Human Services: Develop pipelines to maximize Title IV-E funds by transitioning from program-funded contracts to a fee-for-service model. 

Chief Financial and Administrative Officer June Miller (KY), Brighton Center KY: Develop blended funding for multi-need families with a special focus on housing and food insecurity. 

Deputy Commissioner and Chief Financial Officer Margaret Pletkinoff (NYC), Division of Financial Services, NYC Administration for Children’s Services: Develop pipelines to maximize Title IV-E funding related to the implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act.

Chief Financial Officer Susan Roben (SC), South Carolina Department of Social Services: Develop methods for measuring return on investment for evidence models and other prevention services.  

Child Fatality Review Program Manager Tami Kane-Suleiman (OR), Oregon Department of Human Services: Develop funding pipelines aimed at preventing family separation in the case of a substance-exposed newborn.

Procurement Team Lead LaShunda Williams (MS), Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services: Develop fiscal pipelines for educational and professional development for young adults.