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 share innovations and best practices for serving the complex needs of children and families. This network serves as a monthly check-in for updates, content, peer-to-peer exchanges, and networking; this call series is the Children and Families Program’s primary space for convening policy advisors to discuss multidisciplinary policy considerations.

Members

Governors’ policy advisors with human services-related portfolios. Most commonly, this role is housed within the Governor’s office; however, personnel from state agencies such as human services, child welfare, and early childhood education may also join.

Activities

Monthly call series
State-specific technical assistance available on an ad hoc basis
Consultation on NGA published materials

HSPAI Sessions

Improving State and Territory Procurement Processes

Procurement can be one of the largest barriers to progress that a Governor could face in their tenure: contracting and procurement can be as large a contributor to initiative success ...

Liability Insurance for Child Care and Early Learning Programs

On March 26rd, the National Governors Association Children and Families team hosted the monthly meeting of the Human Services Policy Advisors Institute (Human Services Advisors Network), featuring the National Association ...

H5N1 Avian Flu Emergency Preparedness and Response

On Tuesday, February 25, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices hosted a State and Territorial Leader Advisor Call, where attendees learned more about current H5N1 trends from the ...

Combatting SNAP Fraud

On December 18th, the National Governors Association Children and Families team hosted the monthly Human Services Policy Advisors Institute with the American Public Human Services Association, Arkansas, and Michigan, where ...

Child & Family Services Review Process

On November 20th, the National Governors Association Children and Families team hosted the monthly meeting of the Human Services Policy Advisors Institute, with the Children’s Bureau on the Child & ...

Examining Shifts to Human Services Infrastructure

In October 2024, the Children and Families team hosted the monthly Human Services Policy Advisors Institute Monthly Call for state leaders to discuss how their Governors are leveraging these structural ...

Please contact Jess Kirchner (jkirchner@nga.org) with any questions about the network.

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, Policy Analyst
Eli McCabe, Policy Analyst
Ekaan Ahmad, Policy Coordinator

NGA Resources

Of the Youth, For the Youth, By the Youth: A Governor’s Guide for Incorporating Youth Voice into Policymaking

As states and territories across the country work to address the challenges that many youth face related to their mental health and wellbeing, Governors can engage youth themselves to drive ...

Policy Academy to Strengthen SNAP Employment & Training Delivery

In 2024 the NGA Center for Best Practices (NGA Center), in partnership with Third Sector Capital Partners (Third Sector), launched a Policy Academy to Strengthen SNAP Employment & Training (SNAP ...

Food is Medicine: Making Nutritious Food Accessible to All

To help commemorate National Public Health Week 2025, this publication is part of a series that explores policies, programs and considerations to improve population health. An individual’s wellness, or state ...

Addressing The Link Between Trauma And Addiction

Given the variety of influential factors and the significant plasticity of the brain and behavior during child development, there are many opportunities to prevent adversity in childhood, disrupt the development ...

SUN Bucks Basics for Governors: A Summer EBT Program Primer

The Summer EBT program could significantly impact childhood food insecurity during the critical summer months when food insecurity often peaks. By learning from peers who have successfully navigated funding and ...

2024 Health and Human Services Policy Advisors Institute

The National Governors Association (NGA) welcomed Governors' advisors and policy leaders from thirty-two states and five territories to the annual Health and Human Services (HHS) Policy Advisors Institute, August 28-29, ...

National Governors Association and Third Sector Select Four States to Strengthen SNAP Employment & Training Delivery

WASHINGTON – The National Governors Association (NGA) and Third Sector Capital Partners (Third Sector) selected Idaho, Indiana, Minnesota, and North Carolina to participate in the Policy Academy to Strengthen SNAP ...

Child Care A Focus For Governors at the 2024 NGA Winter Meeting

Child Care is a policy issue that often cuts across many areas of public interest, including workforce participation, economic mobility, public health, and even energy and infrastructure. At the 2024 ...

State Strategies To Mitigate The Impact Of Housing Instability On Child Welfare Involvement

Family housing instability can both lead to, and prolong, involvement with the child welfare system, a process that can be both expensive to the state and traumatic for the child ...

NGA Welcomes 6 States into Youth Mental Health Policy Academy

Alabama, Hawai`i, Kentucky, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Virginia will participate in the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) Policy Academy to Drive Thriving Youth Mental Health and ...

2024 Core Advisory Board

The National Governors Association announced its new Children and Families Core Advisory Board (CAB) for 2024. Each year, a small group of governors’ human services policy advisors and agency leaders ...

State Strategies To Address The Impact Of COVID-19 On Maternal And Child Populations: Child Care and COVID-19

As Governors continue to address the consequences of the pandemic, policymakers and state leaders can consider how to strengthen the role of child care as a tool to support maternal, ...