Allison Gilbreath

Policy and Programs Director, Voices for Virginia’s Children

Allison Gilbreath is the Policy and Programs Director at Voices for Virginia’s Children. She leads the organization’s child welfare policy work as well as the implementation of advocacy programs, elevating policy conversations across all policy areas.

Allison created Voices’ foster care policy network, a group comprised of partners, direct service providers, families, and youth who create a foster care unified agenda each year. She also helped to create the first-ever bi-partisan foster care caucus with the Virginia General Assembly. Together, with the network and foster care caucus, she successfully led the charge in creating the kinship financial assistance program during the 2020 General Assembly session.

Allison came to Voices after several years of working on behalf of children and families, most recently at Prevent Child Abuse Virginia. She was included on Style Weekly’s 40 under 40 in 2019 and has presented at several national and state conferences.

She earned her Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University, and completed the Sorenson Institute for Political Leadership in 2016. She is the board president of Collective 365, an organization founded to support Black and Brown communities through philanthropic giving and capacity building.

Meg Dygert

Senior Policy Associate for Child and Family Well-Being, American Public Human Services Association

Meg Dygert is the Senior Policy Associate for Child and Family Well-Being at the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). In this role, Meg manages and serves as the liaison to two of APHSA’s affinity groups: the National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators (NAPCWA), and the National Association of State Child Care Administrators (NASCCA). Meg works directly with these affinity groups to develop and advocate for pragmatic policy, regulatory, and administrative solutions for improving child welfare and child care programs to best support the creation of family stability and success for all families across the country. She brings extensive knowledge of child welfare programs, Medicaid, maternal mortality, and child care, as well as significant experience in managing grant-funded projects and initiatives.

Prior to joining APHSA, Meg worked for Manatt Health Strategies where she specialized in state and federal health legislation, regulation, and sub-regulatory guidance. Prior to that, she worked as a paralegal, and interned at the Supreme Court of the United States for the Clerk of the Court, Scott S. Harris.

Molly Dunn

Director of Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Policy, Children’s Action Alliance

Molly Dunn is the Director of Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice at the Children’s Action Alliance. Deeply influenced by her own early experience as a foster child, Molly has dedicated her career to improving outcomes of system-involved youth. As a provider of direct legal services, Molly has represented hundreds of children and youth in dependency, juvenile justice, education, immigration, family law, and other proceedings. As a clinical instructor at Stanford and Loyola law schools, she has mentored and guided other advocates to serve system-involved youth. Prior to joining Children’s Action Alliance, Molly directed FosterEd Arizona. Molly holds a B.A. from Macalester College and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.

Mary L. McCarthy, Ph.D. LMSW

Co-Principal Investigator, National Child Welfare Workforce Institute

Mary L. McCarthy, Ph.D., LMSW is Co-Principal Investigator for the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI), A Service of the Children’s Bureau, and Director of the NYS Social Work Education Consortium. A faculty member at the University at Albany, School of Social Welfare since 1988, Mary worked in the child welfare field for 11 years both before and after receiving her MSW from the University at Albany in 1982. She received her Ph.D. in 2003, awarded with distinction, from Memorial University, Newfoundland Canada.

The National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI) began in October 2008. NCWWI’s purpose is to develop and support a child welfare workforce that can equitably meet the needs of the most vulnerable children and families. We promote organizational interventions that result in innovative and inclusive organizational leadership, high performing staff, and diverse partners who are prepared and committed to pursue excellence and sustainable systemic change in service of improved outcomes that are equitable and just for children, youth, and families.

The Social Work Education Consortium was established in 2000 as a formal partnership between the NYS Office of Children and Family Services, Bureau of Training, the New York State Dean’s Association, the social work education community, and local social services to support professionalization activities for current employees pursuing a social work degree.

Her scholarship includes both book chapters and articles on the child welfare workforce as well as numerous conference presentations. She chaired both the undergraduate and graduate programs within the School of Social Welfare and served as a Fulbright Specialist for the Social Work Program at Padjadjaran University, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia in the fall of 2019.

In 2010, Mary received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service and the University at Albany, President’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service. In 2012 Mary received the Rockefeller College Award for Excellence in Professional Development.

Clare Anderson

Chapin Hall

Clare Anderson is a Senior Policy Fellow at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. She uses research, policy, and fiscal levers to improve outcomes for children, youth, and families. Clare engages child welfare agencies, stakeholders, and constituents in large-scale system change. This includes guiding states to implement the Family First Prevention Services Act. Additionally, Clare is a national thought leader on economic and concrete supports as core to prevention of child welfare involvement, and the development of a family and child well-being system that prioritizes family support and cross-sector partnerships.

Prior to joining Chapin Hall, Clare was Deputy Commissioner at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration on Children, Youth, and Families (ACYF). There, she provided leadership for federal programs including child welfare, runaway and homeless youth, domestic and intimate partner violence, and teen pregnancy prevention. During her tenure at ACYF, Clare co-led the development and implementation of a national well-being policy agenda. She was among the chief architects of the effort to address trauma, adverse childhood experiences, and toxic stress in children known to child welfare. Clare spent a decade at the Center for the Study of Social Policy helping states and urban jurisdictions change policies and practices to improve outcomes. This included initiatives such as Family to Family and Community Partnerships for Protecting Children, as well as federal court-ordered monitoring of child welfare agencies. Clare started her career as a frontline social worker. She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Alabama.

Angel Petite

FosterClub

Angel Petite graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Superior with a Bachelors of Arts in Communicating Arts and Political Science. Before coming to FosterClub, Angel worked at a non-profit providing parenting resources to young parents and at a County Human Services supporting individuals applying for and accessing public benefits. Through the years, Angel’s desire to “make a difference” has transformed from one of providing service to recognizing that individuals and communities must be supported to make the changes in their own lives according to their own measures of well-being. Angel is a volunteer CASA in Clatsop County. Her other achievements include a stellar gif game and being able to laugh at in-opportune moments. Currently, she volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in Clatsop County, Oregon.

As Senior Policy Manager at FosterClub, Angel feels proud of her work when Lived Experience Leaders share the growth they’ve experienced during engagement and when field leaders and policymakers meaningfully engage LEx leaders as vital partners in transforming the system. Angel hopes to equip, connect and facilitate more LEx leaders across the country who will transform the system, ensuring young people have what they need to thrive.

Geori Berman Seldine

Florida’s Children First

Geori Berman Seldine, Executive Director of Florida’s Children First (FCF), has spent most of her career fearlessly advocating for children and ensuring that children and youth are put first when making policy decisions. She has worked to make meaningful, sustainable changes to the child welfare system to transform children’s lives. Geori became Florida’s Children First’s Executive Director in 2022, after nearly a decade of working at Florida’s Children First.

Prior to becoming Executive Director of Florida’s Children First, Geori served as the Statewide Director of Florida Youth SHINE (FYS), a statewide youth advocacy organization for current and former youth involved in the child welfare system. During this time, she organized, expanded, and developed Florida Youth SHINE into a national model for youth advocacy best practices while managing the daily operations, communications, curriculum, grants, and programs for FYS. She worked alongside young people to recruit, engage, train, educate and empower them by providing innovative programs and a platform to amplify their voices on a local, state, and national level. Geori’s advocacy and commitment to including youth with lived experience in systemic change has resulted in significant policy and practice changes that improve the lives of Florida’s Children.

Prior to joining Florida’s Children First, Geori worked in the field of Student Affairs in leadership, social justice, and student programming where she developed innovative programs to arm students with the tools and support they need to be successful change agents and leaders. Additionally, she worked with the Enough is Enough Anti-Violence Campaign, The Global Center for Social Entrepreneurship, and as an AmeriCorps at Boys Town.

She is a graduate of Leadership Florida’s Connect program and has served as a National Officer to Theta Phi Alpha, a Conference Delegate for the National Panhellenic Council, a Mentor for the Clinton Global Initiative University, and as a member of the Junior League of Boca Raton.

Geori received her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of the Pacific and her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and Sociology from Florida Atlantic University.

Rebekka Behr

Florida Youth Shine

Rebekka Behr is Chair of the Florida Youth Shine Statewide Board. She is a graduate from The Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science in Family & Child Sciences as well as Sociology. Since graduating in Spring 2020, Rebekka started working with the Florida Department of Health and has moved up in the Human Resources Department since then.

Crystal Charles

Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy

Crystal Charles is a Senior Policy Analyst. She conducts policy and data analysis, leads and participates in coalitions, and advocates on behalf of the Schuyler Center in the areas of child welfare, child poverty, home visiting, and other related issues. During her time at Schuyler Center, Crystal has earned an Executive Certificate of Nonprofit Leadership from Baruch College, the result of her training in the Spring 2022 cohort of Leadership Fellows New York.

Prior to joining Schuyler Center, Crystal was a Public Administration & Policy PhD student, Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant at the University at Albany. Her research focused on how collaboration between nonprofit organizations and government agencies, the internet, and social media can be employed as vehicles for social change, increased civic participation, and government transparency. Before coming to Albany, Crystal was a Tow Policy Advocacy Fellow at the Fortune Society.

Crystal holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities and Justice from John Jay College.

Jasmine Wali

Policy advocate & consultant on child welfare/family policing and economic justice

Jasmine Wali is a policy advocate and consultant on child welfare, family policing, and economic justice. Previously Jasmine served as the Director of Policy and Advocacy at JMAC for Families and has been a practicum instructor at the Columbia School of Social Work. Jasmine holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from Columbia University and a BA from University of California, Davis.

Kelsey Bala

Rhode Island KIDS COUNT

Kelsey Bala is a policy analyst at Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. Kelsey is responsible for policy analysis, advocacy, research, and project management on child welfare and juvenile justice issues. Kelsey received her Bachelor of Science from Gordon College and her Master of Public Health from Brown University with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health. Kelsey has a background in adolescent mental health and worked as a Clinical Research Assistant at Bradley Hasbro Children’s Research Center on several prevention-based research studies, including one on dating violence prevention interventions for juvenile court-involved girls. While at Brown, Kelsey wrote her master’s thesis on how Adverse Childhood Experiences can affect adult health. Kelsey is a Providence native. She has strong ties to the community and a deep knowledge of the needs of children and youth and is passionate about eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems.

Cathleen Palm

The Center for Children’s Justice

Cathleen believes every child is unique and deserves to be nurtured, protected and connected to well-supported families. She has spent nearly three decades working to improve the way in which systems (often publicly funded or managed) engage with and work to support children, youth and families. She has served as a consultant with a variety of non-profits, including the Pennsylvania Chapter of Children's Advocacy Centers/MDTs, The Coalition for Low-Income Pennsylvanians, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, the United Way of Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania Alliance for Children and Families. In addition, she served as a consultant to the Congressionally created Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities (CECANF). Her professional experiences include time spent within the Pennsylvania Department of Auditor General, Pennsylvania Senate and United States Senate. She has served as an appointed member of a variety of state-level initiatives, including the Governor's Commission for Children and Families, Pennsylvania's Children's Trust Fund, the Joint State Government Commission's Advisory Committee on Addiction Treatment and the Governor's Early Learning Council.

Amanda Miller McKinney

Children Now

Amanda Miller McKinney is a Senior Associate of Child Welfare policy at Children Now where she focuses on implementation of large-scale policy initiatives impacting children, youth, and families involved with the child welfare system.  Amanda comes to Children Now with over ten years of experience improving outcomes for children, youth, and families across child- and youth-serving systems.  Previously, Amanda worked for The Institute for Innovation & Implementation where she led state and federally funded projects and provided technical assistance to counties and states on implementation of evidence-based practices and cross-system approaches to improving outcomes for children and youth involved in the child welfare and/or juvenile justice systems or experiencing homelessness.  Amanda also has prior experience supporting implementation of Family Finding in child welfare departments across the U.S. and Canada as part of the National Institute for Permanent Family Connectedness.  She also has experience supporting provision of behavioral health treatment for children in a variety of special education, juvenile detention, and community-based settings.  Amanda holds an MSW from the University of Maryland School of Social Work and a BA in Psychology from the University of Chicago.

Alex Volpe

Catalyst Center

Alex Volpe is the Catalyst Center Program Manager. Alex has been working with underserved youth and families for over 15 years. Upon completing her Masters in Social Work at the University of Chicago in 2005, Alex worked as a therapist at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, a residential treatment facility in Chicago. After moving to the East Bay with her family in 2008, Alex began working at Bay Area Youth Center/Sunny Hills Services (now “Side by Side”), a nonprofit serving foster and probation youth. Alex led Bay Area Youth Center as the Executive Director from 2013-2017. Under Alex’s leadership, Bay Area Youth Center significantly expanded mental health and housing services to youth in Alameda County, and earned a reputation as an agency who would provide shelter and services to the highest need youth who were often terminated from other services due to their acute mental health symptoms. Alex is committed to the principles of trauma-informed care and providing culturally relevant services to young people and their families.

Following her tenure at Bay Area Youth Center, Alex has held a number of contract and interim positions, including serving as the interim chief operating officer at Unity Care Group, as well as the Executive Director at the Ann Martin Center. Prior to becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Alex received her JD from the University of Texas in Austin and worked as a corporate and securities attorney in San Francisco and Austin. She currently lives in Oakland with her family.

Lori Fuller

Fuller Impact

Lori has 30 years of experience in philanthropy and nonprofits across a broad range of issues. Lori is a certified master practitioner of Emergent Learning with the heart of an MSW and the head of an MBA. Lori brings her realistic optimism, to helping groups make their thinking visible, deepen their strategy, and improve their implementation to amplify their impact.

Sarah Jankowski

New Jersey Department of Children and Families

Sarah Jankowski graduated from the University of Delaware with a BA in Criminal Justice and from Montclair State University with a Master of Arts in Child Advocacy. She is a Supervising Program Support Specialist in the Office of Family Support Services, Division of Family and Community Partnerships, housed within New Jersey’s child welfare agency, the Department of Children and Families. She joined this team after serving over twenty years with the state’s child protection agency, the Division of Child Protection and Permanency. In that role, she supported families who were involved in CPS investigations, receiving CPS services, and whose children were in state custody. This led to her current position, where she leads a team of program support staff that provide technical and programming support to prevention programs throughout NJ. These include Family Success Centers and Kinship Navigator Programs, among others.

Gretchen Cusick

Chapin Hall

Dr. Gretchen Cusick is a Research Fellow at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. Her research aims to support the transformation of youth-serving systems, to improve the responses to and experiences of youth involved with the legal system, and to inform community-based services and strategies. She is currently collaborating on a study of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice’s transformation efforts and on an evaluation of deferred prosecution for juveniles. Gretchen has experience with program evaluation, mixed-methods studies, administrative data analysis, and randomized controlled trials. She also brings to her work a rich experience building partnerships, which informs her collaborative approach to research and evaluation.

Gretchen previously operated a consulting firm aimed at building data and analytic capabilities of not-for-profit and other social impact organizations. She also served as the Director of Investments for Chicago Beyond, where she oversaw a portfolio of postsecondary education and violence prevention efforts. As the Research Director at the University of Chicago’s Crime and Education Labs and in her former research role at Chapin Hall, Gretchen conducted evaluations of violence reduction and educational support programs. Her research has focused on multi-system involvement of youth, the transition to adulthood among vulnerable populations, public system responses to youth affected by trauma, and the reentry into communities of formerly detained youth. Gretchen has taught an MBA course on Decision Strategy at the Baumhart Center within Loyola University’s Quinlan School of Business, masters-level courses in Data for Policy Analysis and Management at the University of Chicago, and courses in research methods and juvenile delinquency.

Gretchen obtained a PhD in Sociology with an emphasis in Crime, Law,