Phoenix Santiago didn’t grow up discussing policy, but her time in foster care showed her firsthand its real impact on actual lives. And while that lived experience proved invaluable in her child welfare work, she felt she needed more to make the desired difference in the industry.
“We never talked about data and policy at home,” she said, “and I didn’t think I had that skillset.”
In 2023, she resolved to change that, and her chosen path for doing so led her to MPLD, a program offered through AdoptUSKids that involves hands-on experience, exposure to national experts, mentorship, individual and group coaching, research projects, and online courses in policy, practice, and transformational leadership.
“And, just, wow,” she said to her fellow cohort members at the recent three-day networking and graduation event in Washington, DC, where they gathered to celebrate completion of the year-long process. “When I was first interested in applying for MPLD, I thought I wasn’t at that level yet. But this hands-on experience helped me understand policy and gain confidence. It expanded my social capital in this field, and it made so much more possible.”
Santiago shared this feedback during her presentation of the program’s requisite action research project (ARP). The ARP is a hands-on project where fellows identify a workplace issue, conduct research, and design and implement a solution.
Santiago’s ARP involved creating a training to help child welfare staff more effectively collaborate with and thoughtfully work alongside their colleagues with lived experience. This intervention garnered significant attention, leading to several requests to provide this training at organizations nationwide.
Santiago’s project is one of many already changing how child welfare work is done, as the 21 program participants completed projects that achieved everything from the creation of a pilot program to help older youth find trusted, supportive adults as they transition out of foster care to the implementation of a training and checklist for incorporating culturally appropriate practices into interactions with Tribal nations.
“Our team truly believes that if we plant seeds, we will grow leaders who will in turn transform the systems where the work is taking place,” said Toni Ligon, MPLD program director.
She said the program was started eight years ago to achieve a two-fold goal: to provide a focused leadership development opportunity and to serve as a launchpad for systemic advances.
“Our hope and goal is for cohort members to gain confidence in using data to make evidence-based decisions. And to then use their voice and that data to tell their story, to show why a policy or practice change is needed, and how it will result in better outcomes for all children,” Ligon said. “It is very important to invest in emerging leaders, as there should always be someone at the table representing children who look like them. To borrow a line from the musical Hamilton, we want them to be welcomed in the room where it happens!”
When those leaders are in the room and equipped with effective strategies, they can enact meaningful improvements while offering their unique perspectives.
“Participating in and graduating from the MPLD program was the best professional decision I have ever made for myself,” said recent graduate Rabecca Holt. “It was such a pleasure being a part of a nationwide cohort who all have a passion for improving the lives of our nation’s most vulnerable population. MPLD teaches us that we have a voice, that our voice matters, and that we are the voice representing the overrepresented populations within the child welfare system.”
And in addition to equipping participants with the know-how for implementing advancements, graduate Tashema Hairston said it also provided her with a much-needed boost of inspiration.
“MPLD came along at a time I needed it most,” she said. “It reignited my desire to pursue better outcomes for my clients and gave me the confidence to dream big and take risks.”
These reactions are exactly why Ligon initially got involved with MPLD.
She joined the program as a mentor in 2022. The experience impressed her so much that, when the role of program director became available in 2023, she jumped at the chance to be involved full-time and is now approaching her first anniversary in the position.
This fall’s graduation was the first with her at the helm, and she enjoyed adding her own touches to the three-day event, including a Circle of Discovery ceremony, a special White House tour for graduates, a Bridging Ceremony to connect alumni and new graduates, and a livestreaming of the project presentations.
“It’s been a whirlwind of a year,” she said. “I am looking forward to what’s to come.”
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Are you ready to join recent graduates and become part of MPLD’s legacy of improving the child welfare industry? Applications for Cohort Eight open on January 31, 2025 and will remain open through March 31, 2025.
But don’t just take our word about the fellowship’s benefits. Read what other recent graduates had to say about the program’s transformational impact:
- “I gained a greater understanding of the significance of data, and I feel like I have different lenses on. I have so many other projects in mind because of it.” – Alba Hernandez
- “MPLD helped me to realize that data is a catalyst for change; you just have to get the right people to pay attention.” – Vernee Mason
- “This program has helped me really understand that we need people like me to be leaders. And it’s shown me how data makes it real. It makes us see things for what they are.” – Isaac Pugh
- “If you can do MPLD, you can do almost anything. Some of us have been at our agencies for years and have never received this kind of support and recognition. It’s taught me to be a better leader, changed my approach to problems, and gave me the confidence to do things I’d never thought of before.” – Floyd Sloan
- “MPLD gave me the tools to look at an issue at work and address it and made me more confident in my ability to do so. Personally, it has provided a network of individuals all over the United States who are equally as passionate about child welfare as I am.” -Rebecca Valverde
- “MPLD truly rejuvenated by child welfare career. After twenty-four years at the same agency, fifteen as a middle manager, I was feeling burnt out, and didn’t feel like my ideas for bettering services to our clients and families were being heard or used. MPLD gave me a voice and a platform.” -Nikaeda Griffie
Learn more about MPLD and how to apply. There is no fee to participate in MPLD.