What do transformational leadership and systemic change look like in child welfare? They look like you.
Consider making 2025 the year you elevate your career and the future of child welfare by participating in MPLD. Applications for the program’s eighth cohort open on January 31, 2025 and close on March 31, 2025.
This prestigious 18-month fellowship is more than just a professional development opportunity. It’s a call to action for emerging leaders eager to drive systemic industry improvements.
The program offers several avenues for personal and professional growth, including hands-on leadership training, mentorship from national experts, data-centered coursework, and a structured path for exploring impactful solutions that tackle real challenges in child welfare.
“If you can do MPLD, you can do almost anything,” said recent MPLD graduate Floyd Sloan. “[MPLD] taught me to be a better leader, changed my approach to [solving] problems, and gave me the confidence to do things I’d never thought of before.”
The program opens with a three-day kickoff in Washington, DC, where cohort members connect with their peers and orient themselves for the impactful work ahead. From there, participants engage in online courses in policy and practice, receive group coaching, and design and implement action research projects that address real challenges in their workplace, all while supported by mentors and an extensive alumni network. The program culminates in a celebratory graduation event, where fellows present their findings and take their place among MPLD’s growing legacy of changemakers.
But the program’s impact doesn’t end there, as fellows do more than merely complete coursework.
They become part of the MPLD movement, joining a network of alumni who continue to evolve child welfare. Past participants have launched groundbreaking initiatives, authored new training curriculums, presented their research on national stages, reshaped agency practices, created innovative tools, earned promotions, and otherwise leveraged what they’ve learned into a platform for change.
“MPLD truly rejuvenated my child welfare career,” said recent MPLD graduate Nikaeda Griffie.
Her fellow cohort member, Rabecca Holt, echoed that sentiment, saying, “Participating in and graduating from the MPLD program was the best professional decision I have ever made for myself.”
Applications are open to minority professionals ready to transform their own lives, as well as those of the children and families they serve. If you’re ready to make a difference that echoes far beyond your own career, visit the MPLD homepage to learn more about the program and how to apply.
There is no fee to participate in MPLD.