Achieving Success brings national leaders together to strengthen child welfare
Earlier this November, child welfare leaders, policymakers and lived-experience experts from across the country gathered in Providence, Rhode Island, for the annual Achieving Success Executive Workshop hosted by Youth Villages.
The three-day convening brought together representatives from eight states and national organizations including the Child Welfare League of America, the American Public Human Services Association, Chapin Hall, FosterClub and Foster Care Alumni of America.
It also featured parents and young adults with experience in child and youth services systems, whose insights helped ground discussions with real-world perspectives.
Together, participants shared ideas to strengthen family support, improve outcomes for young people and build more connected systems of care.
Collaboration, creativity and lived experience
Take a look at some of the moments that made this year’s Achieving Success so powerful.
The event’s sessions explored new approaches to prevention, permanency and support for youth aging out of foster care. Presentations included Map2Impact, a data initiative from Chapin Hall and Youth Villages that helps states use administrative data to identify high-impact opportunities for family-based services.
The agenda also featured insights from the National Collaborative for Transition-Age Youth Playbook, a national effort co-designed with young people to share best practices and policy recommendations for supporting those moving into adulthood after foster care.
Patrick Lawler, CEO of Youth Villages, noted that bringing together diverse perspectives from policymakers to young adults who have experienced care helps drive meaningful change.
“At one time, we thought we had to do everything ourselves,” Lawler said. “What we’ve learned is that the best progress comes from partnership with other organizations, with states and with people who share the same goal of helping children and families thrive.”
Panels featuring lived-experience experts brought the discussions to life with personal stories and practical insight.
When I was younger, success meant just surviving. Now, as an adult, it means building a life filled with love, stability and self-respect.
A shared commitment to progress
The workshop was the first Achieving Success event held in the Northeast. Leaders from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, New York, Connecticut, West Virginia and Indiana joined to discuss challenges and opportunities shaping child welfare systems today.
Catherine Smith, chief strategy officer at Youth Villages, opened the convening by describing it as a space for “divine creativity,” a place where state leaders, national partners and lived-experience experts could learn from one another.
Throughout the sessions, attendees explored innovative ways to expand family preservation, strengthen kinship care and improve outcomes for young people as they move into adulthood.
“I’ve been through things I wouldn’t wish on anyone,” said Tauryian Sparrow, another panelist. “Now, I use that experience to make sure the next generation doesn’t have to go through the same. That’s why I share my story — to create change.”
Looking ahead
As participants returned home, the conversations that began in Providence continue to shape ongoing collaboration across states and systems. For Youth Villages, the event reaffirmed the path to lasting change runs through shared learning and authentic partnership.
To learn more about Achieving Success and upcoming events, contact AchievingSuccess@youthvillages.org.
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