Supporting systems that care

Strategic support for organizations serving children, youth, and families—across policy, programs, and advocacy.

I’ve supported governments develop national child protection policies, child welfare agencies launch citywide mental health initiatives, and global foundations rethink how they approach justice and healing.

How I can support you

I focus on what truly works—approaches grounded in evidence, shaped by lived experience, and rooted in relationship. Whether you’re designing a new initiative, strengthening what already exists, or navigating complexity across systems, I bring deep strategic insight and a steady, collaborative presence. My goal is to help you move from clarity to impact—sustainably and with care.

  • Let’s identify where your efforts can make the greatest difference.

    Together, we’ll assess the landscape, clarify your goals, and shape a theory of change to guide your path forward.

  • I help translate vision into action.

    We’ll design programs that are responsive, relational, and coherent across services, teams, and geographies.

  • We’ll define what success looks like—and how to measure it.

    From evaluating outcomes to capturing systemic impact, I support cycles of learning that fuel growth and inform the field.

  • Children, youth, and families are not just beneficiaries—they’re leaders in change.

    I help design engagement strategies and advocacy efforts that shift power and narratives, not just policies.

  • Lasting change is collective.

    I support cross-sector collaboration by identifying strategic partners and helping build the structures, relationships, and shared practices that sustain meaningful work.

clients & affiliations

Select work

Civil Society

Partnering with religious communities

At UNICEF, I led global efforts to engage religious communities as critical partners in advancing equity and child rights. Working across more than 160 country offices, I helped shape strategy and practice that bridged faith and policy—co-developing guidance on how to partner with faith actors across sectors like education, health, HIV and AIDS, nutrition, child protection, gender equality, and humanitarian response. This work helped shift institutional norms, recognizing the power of faith-rooted networks to foster trust, promote dignity, and catalyze change in communities often overlooked by formal systems.

Partnering with Religious Communities for Children: A UNICEF publication I co-authored, providing the global framework and practical guidance for how UNICEF engages faith actors to advance child rights and equity across sectors.

While overseeing UNICEF’s work with religious communities, I was interviewed as part of the Micah Challenge, a global initiative engaging communities of faith to eradicate poverty.

Child Welfare

Designing relational programs for children, youth, and families

As program director for one of the largest foster care agencies in the U.S., I designed and led a wide range of education, youth development, and family support services rooted in relationship. I guided a team of over 50 staff working across programs that included mentoring, college and career readiness, mental health support, and parent accompaniment. These programs aimed not just to stabilize families, but to foster belonging, connection, and hope—meeting people where they were, while building the conditions for what could be.

Empowering Parents So Children Succeed: Co-developed guidance to help foster care agencies partner with parents in supporting their children’s education—centering connection, collaboration, and empowerment.

Mental Health:  Soul Care for Youth in Foster Care

I currently lead the implementation of Soul Care, a city-backed mental health pilot that supports healing through arts, culture, and movement. Developed in partnership with the NYC Administration for Children’s Services and the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health, Soul Care supports the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—by inviting young people to explore and strengthen eight key dimensions of well-being, including physical, emotional, social, and spiritual wellness. With plans to scale citywide by 2027, the initiative weaves together relational practice, cultural responsiveness, and trauma-informed care—meeting youth in foster care in ways that are grounded, joyful, and real.

During the height of COVID, we celebrated the resilience of over 100 young people in foster care graduating—from kindergarten to college—with joyful car parades and heartfelt shoutouts from Alicia Keys, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and others.

Photo: Public Policy Lab

Government

Shaping National Practice for Unaccompanied Children

In partnership with the Biden Administration’s Office of Refugee Resettlement, I helped shape and advance the Core Beliefs & Values framework for the Unaccompanied Children Program. Drawing from direct field experience and cross-sector collaboration, I focused on strengthening youth engagement strategies and articulating national commitments to child well-being, family connection, cultural responsiveness, and healing-centered accountability. Though its future depends on political will, the work laid a blueprint for what just, relational, and child-centered systems can look like—offering a vision rooted in presence, dignity, and care.

Six-minute excerpt from a national training developed for U.S. government staff and partners—focused on presence, dignity, and care in the Unaccompanied Children Program.

Humanitarian & Refugee Programs

Protecting Children in Crisis

Across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, I supported child protection efforts for the International Rescue Committee—working with children impacted by war, displacement, and family separation. I led initiatives to reunite children with their families, support those formerly associated with armed groups, and expand access to education in refugee settings.

During the 2006 Hezbollah–Israel war, I contributed to emergency response efforts in Lebanon, and conducted child protection assessments in the West Bank and Gaza. Beyond direct response, I helped shape tools and trainings used across the humanitarian sector—including UNHCR’s Best Interest Determination guidelines and the Paris Principles—working to strengthen systems of care in moments of crisis and in their aftermath.

This work reflects a broader commitment: to protect childhood even in the most unstable of times, and to build structures that uphold safety, dignity, and hope.

Meeting with young men in Liberia in the aftermath of the war to listen, learn, and support local efforts to protect children and build trust.

Additional examples

  • Child Protection & Education

    Developed global guidance for UNICEF on the role of social service workers in preventing and responding to violence against children in educational settings.

  • Government

    Oversaw UNICEF’s engagement with legislative branches of government, supporting the development of policies and strategies across 160+ country offices. Partnered with global and regional parliamentary bodies to design country- and region-specific strategies for effective legislative engagement.

    Sample publication UNICEF Guide to Working with Parlliaments

  • Civil Society

    Researched the impact of restorative justice and mandatory reporting laws on child sexual abuse, informing strategy for the Oak Foundation, a leading global foundation focused on prevention, healing, and systemic change.

Advisory Roles

  • Research Fellow, Collaborative on Global Children's Issues

  • International Human Rights Senior Career Advisor

  • Fellow, American Express Leadership Academy for Emerging Nonprofit Leaders

  • Affiliate

  • Board of Directors

  • Board of Directors

Endorsements

  • "Stephen is unique in his ability to both look at the big picture while being anchored directly to the individuals and communities with whom he works."

    Shaheen Mistri
    CEO of Teach For India

  • “Stephen co-created opportunities and synergies in working with children and families at a whole new level of partnership.

    Dr. Nicholas Alipui
    Former UNICEF Global Director of Programs

  • "Stephen is an excellent communicator with a special ability to identify strategic opportunities to promote positive change and achieve long lasting results."

    Marta Santos Pais
    Former Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence Against Children

Select Media & Public Engagement

Across media and leadership platforms, I’ve had the opportunity to share insights from my work with children, youth, and families in mental health, education, and child welfare.

Highlights include a televised interview on Spectrum News NY1, testimony before the New York City Council, and a feature in the Aspen Institute’s LeaderStories series.

These are just a few examples of broader efforts to engage government, civil society, and academia in advancing relational, youth-centered, and family-responsive systems.

Each reflects a commitment to bridging practice and policy—and to lifting up the voices and experiences that too often go unheard.

NYC News Segment

Highlighted how school stability supports healing, connection, and success for children in foster care

New York City Council Testimony

Testified on the importance of school stability for children in foster care.

Georgetown University

Moderated a conversation on faith, child rights, and family values.

Aspen Institute Fellowship

Selected for a values-based leadership program for nonprofit leaders.

Short video productions

I have produced advocacy/awareness raising products, such as short video productions, for programs I have designed and led.

A powerful weekend retreat for college-bound youth in foster care, focused on connection, leadership, and trust.

Young people in foster care travel to Washington, D.C. to explore history, share their voices, and envision their futures.

Parents of children in foster care come together for a weekend of connection, reflection, and renewal. 

Let’s talk about collaborating