Children and Families

Governors and state leaders play a critical role in the protection and support of vulnerable children, families, and individuals. The Children and Families (C&F) team provides timely and individualized state-focused technical assistance to Governors, their human services policy advisors, and state agency leadership so they can improve policies and systems that will allow children, families, and communities to reach their full potential. With an emphasis on helping States develop opportunities and policies that support all communities, the C&F team aids Governors to advance and fulfill their vision for the children and families in their states.

Our Focus Areas

  • Whole-family Approaches to Serving Children and Families
  • Early Childhood Education and Care
  • Juvenile Justice
  • Human Services Data and Delivery Systems
  • Housing and Homelessness
  • Food Insecurity and Hunger
  • Family Economic Security
  • Anti-Poverty Solutions
  • Foster Care, Kinship Care, and Adoption
  • Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment
  • Empowering Families and Communities
  • Reducing Barriers to Opportunity and Equity

Meet The Team

  • Jordan Hynes
    Program Director
  • Jess Kirchner
    Senior Policy Analyst
  • Eli McCabe
    Policy Analyst
  • Ekaan Ahmad
    Policy Coordinator

Major Initiatives

Policy Academy on Strengthening Youth Mental Health  

This Policy Academy builds on last year’s Chair’s Initiative on Strengthening Youth, Led by Governor Murphy of New Jersey. NGA will support up to 6 states in intensive technical assistance and strategic planning to implement the Chair’s Initiative Playbook through 4 main policy pillars:  

  • Prevention and Resilience 
  • Increasing Awareness and Reducing Stigma 
  • Access and Affordability of Quality Treatment and Care 
  • Caregiver and Educator Training and Support 

Children & Families Core Advisors Board 

The NGA Children and Families Team established the Core Advisors Board (CAB) to provide feedback on governors’ top priorities impacting the lives of children and families. Each year, a small group of governors’ human services policy advisors and agency leaders are selected to provide critical input and feedback on the structure and content of the NGA Center’s work with the states on human services and early childhood education and care issues.  


Human Services Policy Advisor Institute 

The Human Services Policy Advisors Institute is a network of governors’ policy advisors and state leaders from social services and children and family-serving agencies that comes together on a monthly call to share innovations and best practices for serving the complex needs of children and families. This network serves as a regular check-in for updates, content, peer-to-peer exchanges, and networking for policy advisors to discuss multidisciplinary policy considerations. Recent topics include: Human Services Workforce; Integrating Eligibility Screening Systems; and Supporting Older Populations.  


Children and Families Library

Governors Urge Quick Action on the Bipartisan Keep Kids Fed Act

Governors Urge Quick Action on the Bipartisan Keep Kids Fed Act

National Governors Association’s Community Renewal Task Force Co-Chairs Governors Mike Parson and Albert Bryan, Jr. released the following statement on the bipartisan Keep Kids Fed Act, introduced by Senate Agriculture ...
Briefing on Infant Formula Shortage

Briefing on Infant Formula Shortage

On Tuesday, May 17, 2022 NGA hosted a briefing for Governors’ offices with the White House, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ...
Human Services Policy Advisors Institute

Human Services Policy Advisors Institute

The Human Services Policy Advisors Institute is a series of monthly calls that bring together governors’ policy advisors and state leaders from social services and children and family-serving agencies to ...
Help Wanted: Building a Pipeline to Address the Children’s Mental Health Provider Workforce Shortage

Help Wanted: Building a Pipeline to Address the Children’s Mental Health Provider Workforce Shortage

There is no silver bullet for the mental health crisis but reducing workforce shortages of these critical providers can go a long way to solving the problem. by Jessica Kirchner ...
Governors’ Top Priorities for Supporting Children and Families In 2022 State of the State Addresses

Governors’ Top Priorities for Supporting Children and Families In 2022 State of the State Addresses

Across states, Governors’ cited their commitment to strengthening families and communities. By Isabella Cuneo In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Governors across the country are keenly focused on growth ...
National Governors Association Welcomes 10 States to Join Children and Families Core Advisory Board

National Governors Association Welcomes 10 States to Join Children and Families Core Advisory Board

The National Governors Association today announced its new Children and Families Core Advisory Board members for 2022. Each year, a small group of governors’ human services policy advisors and agency ...
Child and Family Well-Being Learning Cohort

Child and Family Well-Being Learning Cohort

The Child and Family Well-Being Learning Cohort was hosted by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and Casey Family Programs. The network joined governor’s office representatives, ...
2021 Child and Family Well-Being Governors’ Summit

2021 Child and Family Well-Being Governors’ Summit

The 2021 Child and Family Well-Being Governors’ Summit featured State presentations and a panel of Governors’ Policy Advisors on Governors’ plans and priorities to holistically improve the lives of children ...
State Innovation for Strengthening Families

State Innovation for Strengthening Families

Governors have developed ambitious initiatives to improve the lives of children and families. by Isabella Cuneo Governing a state is a bit like flying an airplane: You must know how ...
SNAP E&T Action Lab

SNAP E&T Action Lab

This Action Lab focused on leveraging Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) to expand access to and support student success in education and training programs that lead ...
Case Study: California's ACEs Aware Initiative

Case Study: California’s ACEs Aware Initiative

California’s ACEs Aware initiative takes an innovative, evidence-based approach to addressing adverse childhood experiences and toxic stress by educating and training health care providers who are directly interacting with the ...
Promising Practices to Reduce Maternal Mortality in New Jersey

Promising Practices to Reduce Maternal Mortality in New Jersey

Nurture NJ is an umbrella that breaks down silos between stakeholders, bringing them together to tackle issues related to maternal and child health. (View/Download) Background According to the Centers for ...