In Wisconsin, one in 10 children entering foster care was separated from their family because of housing instability.
In 2023, Dustin Koury joined Foster America’s Fiscal Leadership Circle (FLC) determined to change that statistic. The FLC is a 12-month fellowship that equips finance professionals with strategies to increase support for programs that strengthen families — ultimately reducing their risk of involvement with the child welfare system.
Apply for the 2025 FLC cohort here
Dustin, who at the time worked for the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, came to the fellowship — tailored to those who oversee budgets impacting children and families — to further the state’s Family Keys initiative.
Family Keys supports families experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Through partnerships with county teams and Casey Family Programs, Family Keys offers innovative supports — from landlord risk mitigation to emergency housing funds made available to families who don’t otherwise qualify for public assistance.
“Experiencing housing challenges is not a form of child abuse or neglect,” said Dustin, who is now senior director of transformation at Alia Innovations. “Separating children from their parents in those instances isn’t appropriate. Family Keys helps communities find flexible ways to meet family needs and keep children safely at home.”
During his fellowship, Dustin focused on identifying sustainable funding streams and strategies to help Family Keys grow and reach more communities. The fellowship was instrumental in helping him connect with other national leaders, explore funding models, and build a broader vision for the project’s impact.
In its first year, Family Keys served 30-plus families across pilot sites — with 85% avoiding foster care placement. One county reported nearly $400,000 in cost savings during the first year alone.
“The fellowship taught me how to identify strategic funding opportunities — and how this kind of flexible, upstream support is possible in any community,” says Dustin. “It gave me a network of leaders who helped me think about how to make a lasting impact.”
Dustin’s project is one of more than a dozen innovations led by fellows in the Fiscal Leadership Circle’s first cohort — leaders who, together, oversaw $4.3 billion in child welfare budgets that year.
The opportunity for impact continues to grow. In June 2025, Foster America announced open recruitment for the next round of fiscal leaders.
“If you want to make a real difference for families and drive change in your community, this is the fellowship to do it,” says Dustin. “The experience gave me the tools and partnerships I needed to move Family Keys forward — and I’d encourage anyone who’s ready to lead that kind of change to apply.”
Today, Family Keys stands as a national model for addressing housing insecurity in child welfare — and a testament to what’s possible when leaders come together to advance family-centered change. In partnership with The Imagination Factory, Dustin is working to scale this important work by helping leaders set up Family Keys programs in their own jurisdictions.
For more information, fill out an interest form here.
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