Program areas at Think of Us
Virtual support services - Think of Us' flagship projects are committed to steering and co-driving substantial, often multi-year initiatives with the potential to fundamentally reshape the foster care system. In response to the challenges posed by covid-19 in 2020, tou utilized its position to establish a command center. This served as a central hub for resources and guidance, offering support to foster care individuals and organizations affected by the pandemic. The initiative set up a foundational digital model, complemented by direct 1:1 support, providing families and young people immediate access to crucial resources such as short and long-term housing, mental health services, and employment training. Building upon the success of the covid-19 command center, Think of Us further expanded its impact by launching the virtual support services (vss) platform. In 2023, tou responded to 7,099 requests on behalf of 3,669 families - helping them access over $50 million in resources.
System change lab - the systems change lab at Think of Us operates at the jurisdiction level, collaborating with counties and states to drive practical innovation. Think of Us is engaged by jurisdictions and key national philanthropic, research, and program leaders, working in partnership with local and national organizations to leverage lived experience-centered research and design capabilities to address significant challenges. In tandem, the hack foster care initiative focuses on fostering new ideas by bringing together individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences to develop groundbreaking solutions in technology and policy. This encompasses immediate response and support for state and local initiatives.
Center for lived experience - the center for lived experience, led by a vice president, serves as a crucial support entity beyond Think of Us (tou). This center utilizes both qualitative and quantitative evidence to advance system design, with a primary focus on incorporating the real-world experiences of youth in foster care. Through a holistic approach that combines participatory research, data analysis, tools and technology utilization, community building, thought leadership, and proximate policy, the center for lived experience systematically integrates lived experience into all facets of child welfare research, policy, and practice. The goal is to empower those most impacted by the system, allowing them to utilize their power and perspectives for transformative change. Moreover, the center for lived experience operates as a living model, demonstrating how to center lived experience in government and truly make child welfare human-centered. By blending research to set narratives and envision possibilities alongside crafting public policy to codify effective practices at the local, state, and federal levels, the center for lived experience is dedicated to driving a national systems change movement. In 2023, 2,279 youth, caregivers, and parents impacted by the child welfare system participated in our research studies, surveys, and in-person engagements.
Other programs - general programs, lobbying, communications and technology.