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MPLD

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Members of the seventh cohort of the MPLD program pose for a group photo during their recent welcoming ceremony. This prestigious 18-month leadership fellowship helps child welfare professionals advance their knowledge of and skills in the industry, and it has led past participants, such as graduate Rabecca Holt, to say, “Participating in and graduating from the MPLD program was the best professional decision I have ever made for myself.” 

MPLD is an 18-month program designed for emerging leaders working in child welfare. The structured program includes hands-on experience, exposure to national experts, and mentorship opportunities.

Made possible through grant funding from AdoptUSKids, MPLD was launched in 2018 and has graduated six cohorts of leaders. (The seventh cohort, pictured above, recently started their coursework.) The incoming fellows, Cohort Eight, will be the first to benefit from a recent expansion of the program from 12 months to 18 months. The additional time will support intervention implementation and outcome measurement. Cohort Eight will accept applications from January 31, 2025 until midnight on March 31, 2025.

There is no fee to participate.

Program components

  • A kick-off celebration and meeting in Washington, DC, that includes three days of intensive skill-building and networking.
  • Action research projects (ARPs) that program fellows design and implement in their place of work to address issues related to adoption, guardianship, or kinship. Fellows will receive expert, individualized guidance to help them complete their projects.
  • Structured online courses addressing transformational leadership, policy, practice, and research.
  • Mentoring from program alumni and leaders within the fellow’s agency.
  • An in-person meeting at the program’s mid-point to review the fellow’s ARP progress, findings, and intervention implementation.
  • Coaching (in both group and individual settings) that supplements the online course material.
  • A graduation ceremony in Washington, DC, where fellows present their ARPs.
  • An alumni network that provides long-term career support, resource-sharing, and leadership opportunities with future cohorts.

Who should apply

MPLD is open to minority professionals from cultural, ethnic, and racial groups who have historically comprised a disproportionate number of children and youth experiencing foster care or permanency.

Successful applicants are: 

  • committed to pursuing systemic changes for children, youth, and families who are moving toward adoption or guardianship or who have already achieved permanency, 
  • interested in advancing their skills and knowledge of foster care, adoption, guardianship, and kinship, 
  • motivated to become transformational leaders, 
  • experienced professionals with five or more years working in child welfare, and 
  • in possession of an undergraduate degree.

Learn about the program criteria and how to apply.

Time commitment

The number of hours each fellow dedicates to the program will vary by person and by their selected ARP. In general, each fellow can anticipate devoting an average of 24 hours to the program each month.

A greater time commitment during the first and final months of the fellowship is likely, due to the in-person kick-off and closing events in Washington, DC.

Learn more

Subscribe to our newsletter for professionals. In addition to alerts about applications opening for future MPLD cohorts, you’ll receive articles about the work our MPLD fellows complete, as well as tips, resources, and blog posts for child welfare workers.

Have questions? Email us: mpld@adoptuskids.org.