Alexandra Citrin

She/Her/Hers

Alexandra Citrin is an expert in child welfare policy and practice and its effect on communities of color, LGBTQ+ youth, and immigrant families. Alexandra has been deeply involved in working with states and national partners to understand the complexities and requirements of the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) and identifying opportunities within the bill to advance child welfare system reform efforts both as it relates to prevention services and the reduction of congregate care. She currently leads the team providing intensive technical assistance to states developing and implementing prevention activities through FFPSA. Alexandra’s  system-reform work also includes providing technical assistance to state and local child welfare systems through child welfare systems operating under federal consent decree and the Infant Toddler Court Team Program. She is a trained reviewer for the Child and Family Service Review and Quality Service Review. Her policy expertise includes child welfare system and finance reform, health care, and immigration—with a focus on using frontline practice—knowledge to inform equity-focused policymaking.

Prior to joining CSSP, she was a family advocate at the Center for Family Representation, Inc. in New York, where she engaged in direct practice with parents and families involved in the child welfare system; Alexandra was a Child Welfare Scholar at the University of Michigan where she earned a master’s degree from the Graduate School of Social Work and a master’s degree in public policy from the Ford School.

#CARES4Power

Follow us on Instagram to learn more about our work, the CARES Ambassadors, and the policies we are building to advance change for all transition age youth.

We know that children and youth do best when they are able to remain in their homes and communities. And when families do become known to the child welfare system, it is the system’s responsibility to partner with families in ways that promote autonomy and provide supports and resources that keep families together. ⁣
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For LGBTQ+ youth and their families, this requires having a system, including staff, that engage youth and families with dignity and are affirming and responsive to their needs, as well as partnerships with a broader network of community-based supports that can meet families’ needs.⁣
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Check out our full statement on how Systems, policies, and communities play an important role in affirming LGBTQ+ young people in the foster care system on our blog.  🔗 in bio.
Young people want to be seen for their whole selves and deserve to feel encouraged, affirmed, and supported as they make their way in the world. 
 
Join us TODAY from 2:30-3:45 PM ET for a panel discussion hosted by @chcidc to talk about opportunities to support and affirm #LGBTQ young people in foster care, featuring LA Ambassador @danie.rose_ 
 
Learn more and register at https://bit.ly/3VcAbA07m
Check out #Atlanta CARES Ambassador Vlad speaking 🗣️ about how he feels about creating policies that help transition-age youth. “Something that I’ll say I enjoy a lot about being a CARES Ambassador is improving people’s lives and giving opportunities. Making policies that will help youth and people in need.”
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 #CARES #fostercare #policy #youthpolicies #CARESAmbassador
Check out CARES Ambassador Joseph Mariscal talking about some of the challenges with accessing benefits from state to state and what universal policies should be protected for transition aged youth. #CARES #fostercare #healthcare