This classroom in Huycho, Peru reflects a lesson for human services: community-centered care doesn't replace strong systems - it makes them effective. During a recent visit to Huycho, Urubamba, in Peru's Sacred Valley, we had the opportunity to spend time at an elementary school supported by Sweet Child Perú, an organization focused on education, nutrition, and sustainability to help children thrive and strengthen communities. We spent the day playing games, creating art, exc

For decades, human services agencies have been expected to solve society's most complex challenges with yesterday's technology. We inherit surplus furniture from other departments. We use repurposed laptops. Our visitation rooms are stocked with leftover toys. We often adopt technology years after it has become standard elsewhere. Yet we serve children, families, older adults, and vulnerable populations whose outcomes can be profoundly impacted by the quality of our systems,

While this reflection is fueled by a personal experience, it resonates even more deeply with me professionally. Recently, my son completed his end-of-grade competency testing. Reading comprehension proved challenging for him in a few areas. Around the same time, he began asking more questions about my favorite novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. A first edition sits prominently in our family room. Years ago, we even named our first family dog, Radley, after one of the book's most m

Last week, I shared reflections from a national conversation about whether prevention is working in child welfare. That discussion surfaced important debates about evidence, scale, and outcomes. But there was a quieter point, almost an aside, that deserves much more attention: Who is actually doing this work? Because here is the truth: We can debate FFPSA. We can debate the Clearinghouse. We can debate evidence. We can debate what works. But none of it matters if we don’t hav

I recently attended a panel hosted by American Enterprise Institute that asked a simple but important question: Is the Prevention Services Clearinghouse actually working? The conversation surfaced something our field needs to grapple with more directly. Eight years after FFPSA, we have shifted funding toward prevention. That was necessary. But we are still asking whether it is producing meaningful impact. What stood out most was the challenge raised by Emily Putnam-Hornstein.

Are We Finally Ready to Admit CCWIS Isn’t Failing—It’s Being Built the Wrong Way? After two decades inside local and state child welfare systems, and leading at the executive level on a complex statewide CCWIS implementation, we’ve seen the full spectrum. The vision. The investment. The challenges. Now, building a practice focused on human services and technology, we are having more candid conversations with state leaders than ever before. And the question we keep hearing is