Our third quarterly convening brought Foster America to Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD where we had the distinct privilege of meeting with national leaders in child welfare practice and policy. Among many highlights of this gathering was a day of learning and discussion with Molly McGrath Tierney and the Baltimore City Department of Social Services leadership team about focusing on desired outcomes to move the needle for kids and families.
Back in our nation’s capital, we enjoyed fascinating conversations with Brenda Donald, Director of the DC Child and Family Services Agency; JooYeun Chang and Barbara Pryor of Casey Family Programs; Rafael Lopez, former Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Judith Meltzer from the Center for the Study of Social Policy; and MaryLee Allen of the Children’s Defense Fund. On Capitol Hill, we met with Senate committee advisors Laura Bernsten and Becky Shipp to learn how federal policy advisors work across party lines to push legislation forward on behalf of children and families.
Finally, fellows and Foster America interns participated in an interactive training session about implicit bias with J.C. Faulk. It was an intensive week with tremendous learning opportunities all around. Thank you to our many hosts and speakers, as well as our summer interns who played instrumental roles in coordination of the event.
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