Since our original conversation with Lisa Lawson, she’s published a new book called Thrive: How the Science of the Adolescent Brain Helps Us Imagine a Better Future for All Children. The book is a powerful reminder that adolescence is not a problem to fix, but a window of growth and possibility. Drawing on research, stories from the field, and feedback from young people, Lisa explores how we can better support adolescents, and why the decisions we make for young people now shape their future and ours.

Building on this work, the Annie E. Casey Foundation has also developed an upcoming resource for youth-serving organizations called Elevating Youth Engagement. This curriculum is designed to help adults and young people work together as partners in changemaking.

In the original episode, Valerie sat down with Lisa Lawson, the President and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. They discuss her leadership in the child welfare sector and the Foundation's pivotal role in advancing the Thriving Families, Safer Children (TFSC) movement. Lisa reflects on her journey as a leader, Foundation President, and the future of the TFSC movement.

Lisa shares insights into the shift from improving the foster care system to investing in community-based health promotion and family well-being. She also speaks about the work the Foundation is doing to keep children and families safe and thriving in their communities without involvement in the child welfare system.

The conversation explores the key principles behind the Foundation’s approach to TFSC, the challenges they’ve faced, and the tangible progress that’s being made. Lisa reflects on what excites her about the future of the child welfare sector and the role of philanthropy in driving lasting change. Tune in to hear how leadership, vision, and strategic partnerships are working together to create a movement that prioritizes prevention over intervention.

Community In-Site now has a Blog!! You can go to the website to listen to episodes, read the blog, access information and resources, and subscribe to the email newsletter. Home - Thriving Families

Here are some links Lisa would like to share to her new book and Elevating Youth Engagement curriculum.

• Thrive Book - The Annie E. Casey Foundation
• Elevating Youth Engagement - The Annie E. Casey Foundation

We appreciate you spreading awareness by sharing this episode with your friends, family, and colleagues who care about family well-being.

Please email us if you want to connect with the creative team or find out how to engage with the family well-being movement. comminsite@gmail.com

In this episode, host Valerie Frost talks with Tanya Torres Trice, Director of Washington DC’s Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA), about CFSA’s efforts to build trust with the community as they launch DC’s Warmline to better support families.

Director Trice dives into the story behind DC’s Warmline, a new pathway that allows families to reach out for help before a crisis arises. She talks about how the agency made an intentional decision to slow down, engage the community, listen, review policies and practices, and then begin building the Warmline. The Warmline officially launched in February 2025. In addition to the importance of working with the community, Director Trice also shares the importance of vision, leadership, collaboration, and taking action. She also shares a turning point moment when a parent who had once publicly criticized the agency acknowledged, “If they tell you they’ll do something, they will.” Through moments like this, listeners see how small wins and community engagement can spark broader cultural shifts.

This episode offers a powerful look at how government agencies can change not just policies, but relationships, showing that when trust becomes the goal, transformation follows.

Check Out Past Community In-Site Episodes!! You can go to the website to listen to episodes, read the blog, access information and resources, and subscribe to the email newsletter. Podcasts Archive - Thriving Families

Here are some additional resources Director Trice would like to share with you.

• 211warmline
• DC ‘Warmline’ launches for easier access to social services - WTOP News
• Building a New Model for Child Well-Being in Washington D.C.: OPT-In Initiative - Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab
• A phone lifeline for families in need in DC receives support from Doris Duke Foundation - WTOP News

We appreciate you spreading awareness by sharing this episode with your friends, family, and colleagues who care about family well-being.

Please email us if you want to connect with the creative team or find out how to engage with the family well-being movement. comminsite@gmail.com

In this episode, host Valerie Frost speaks with Demarco Mott, a passionate youth leader and advocate from Miami who has spent years fighting racial disparities in child welfare and school systems. Demarco is the Chair of the Citrus Family Care Network Youth Advisory Council. His leadership journey began with his own experiences of exclusion and othering, moments that fueled his commitment to build spaces where youth voices are not only heard but drive change.

Demarco shares stories from organizing youth councils, navigating resistance from agencies and schools, and partnering with supportive adults who stand with youth unconditionally. He discusses the critical shift Miami has made by moving away from traditional language to directly confronting child welfare disparities and how youth leadership is reshaping local systems and policies.

Listeners will hear about the real impact of youth-led advocacy, the importance of community-rooted strategies, and the lessons Demarco has learned about resilience, inclusion, and collective power. This episode highlights how youth voice matters not just as a buzzword but as a catalyst for equity and justice.

Check Out Past Community In-Site Episodes!! You can go to the website to listen to episodes, read the blog, access information and resources, and subscribe to the email newsletter. Podcasts Archive - Thriving Families

Here are some additional resources Demarco would like to share with you.

• Transitioning Youth — Citrus Family Care Network
• April 2025 - Happy Highlights.pdf - Google Drive
• 2019-2024 Citrus FCN Impact Report (1).pdf - Google Drive

We appreciate you spreading awareness by sharing this episode with your friends, family, and colleagues who care about family well-being.

Please email us if you want to connect with the creative team or find out how to engage with the family well-being movement. comminsite@gmail.com