Table Sense

Last week, Table Sense had the privilege of attending two very impactful events! Prior to these events, we had a successful “Hill Day” in D.C. full of 8 meetings with congressional offices across 4 states. These meetings resulted in real legislative change - the passing of the Fostering the Future Act. First, we cohosted the Foster Youth Housing Summit in Washington, D.C. This event featured a wide array of experts all working to improve housing stability for those transitioning out of foster care. This event showed how housing is an integral part of post-foster care life that affects various other areas such as education, employment, and community. We would like to give a special thanks to our cohosts: Good River Partners, Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Foster America, Journey to Success, NATIONAL CENTER FOR HOUSING AND CHILD WELFARE, and Think of Us. It was an honor to host this event with you. Our team also went to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, where we discussed the concept of missing markets. The idea here is that more preventative investments should be made to ensure that any unnecessary harm and waste is avoided. These prescriptive measures prove to be more helpful than descriptive ones when looking at the welfare and foster care systems specifically.  #FosterCare #Welfare #Foster #Housing #FED 

May is National Foster Care Awareness Month. Behind every statistic is a young person navigating uncertainty, resilience, and hope, often all at once. At Table Sense, we center the voices of those who have experienced the system firsthand. Because the people closest to the challenges are closest to the solutions. This month, we’re reflecting on what it means to truly listen and what becomes possible when we do. It’s not just about awareness. It’s about building a system that sees, hears, and supports every young person.

What if innovation could help restore what God intends for children and families? Today, we’re launching the National Foster Care Innovation Challenge – with support from Google.org and in partnership with Eagle Venture Fund This is a national call for nonprofit and social enterprise innovators building technology and new models that strengthen families and renew systems of care for vulnerable children. At Flourish Fund, we believe the call to care for children and families is deeply rooted in our faith – grounded in a vision of restoration, belonging, and communities marked by sacrificial love. And alongside these timeless practices, we see an opportunity to catalyze new tools and models that help that vision take root more fully in our world today. Some of the most important solutions have yet to be built – or are just beginning to emerge. So we’re inviting technologists, nonprofits, and social entrepreneurs to join us in imagining – and creating – what could be possible. If you’re building tools or models that could: - strengthen families and prevent unnecessary foster care placements - equip churches and local communities to support families - build stronger, more connected networks of care around children …we would love to hear from you. Applications are open through April 16. Learn more and apply today (🔗 link in the first comment!). And please share with those building toward a more restorative future for children and families. #TechForGood #FosterCare #SocialInnovation #InnovationChallenge #ChildWelfare #RedemptivePhilanthropy

Child Trends’ new brief for the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation's Foster Youth Initiative—written by young people with lived experience in foster care—explores the systemic challenges foster youth face in pursuing their desired career paths. The authors also provide recommendations for strengthening career services and expanding opportunities for youth with foster care experience, including: (1) Funding career development services and supports that focus on building relationships and mentorship (2) Funding organizations to build youth skills in their areas of interest (3) Leveraging the Foundation’s relationships and connections to create a portal with job opportunities Thank you to Ogechi King, Daniel Bisuano, Cheyanne Deopersaud, and Abigail Rubtsova Henderson, the four authors who wrote this brief! https://lnkd.in/eawwZuAx

Last week, the Table Sense team was in South Florida connecting with leaders who are shaping the future of education and youth support. We had the opportunity to spend time with the University of Miami School of Education and Human Development, exploring long-term partnership opportunities and shared priorities around advancing outcomes for young people. We also joined an inspiring luncheon with Pace Center for Girls in Fort Lauderdale, an organization doing powerful, life-changing work to support girls and young women across Florida. Grateful for the conversations, the collaboration, and the continued momentum toward building systems that better serve youth.

Mark Davis joined David Bank, Founder and Editor of ImpactAlpha, on the Money & Meaning podcast from SOCAP Global. The conversation explores the opportunity around child-lens investing and how investing in human potential can help create more durable solutions in the child welfare system. 🎧 Listen to the episode: https://lnkd.in/gfaa-VRV

Honored to share that I've been selected as a 2026 delegate for the National Foster Youth Institute's Congressional Leadership Academy (CLA)! Youth voices and lived experience are not just important additions to child welfare conversations, they are essential to building policies that actually work. Being part of a national cohort dedicated to bringing those perspectives directly into federal policy spaces is both meaningful and energizing. In my work across research, programming, and advocacy, I see every day how thoughtful collaboration between policymakers, partitioners, and people with lived experience can drive real change. I'm excited to learn alongside leaders from across the country, engage with decision-makers, and continue strengthening solutions that expand opportunity and improve outcomes for young people and families. Grateful for the mentors, colleagues, and communities who continue to push this work forward and I'm incredibly excited for what comes next! #NFYI #CongressionalLeadershipAcademy #ChildWelfare #YouthVoice #Advocacy #SocialImpact

Hello #FosterYouth housers. I have a question. Do you know of any housing projects across the Country that have used project based vouchers through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Foster Youth to Independence Initiative (FYI)? Tell me about them here, or drop me an email at dhiempel@goodriverpartners.com. Lisa Guillette Nathan Harmening Maren Trochmann Jim Currier, MSW Brenner Stiles Casey Trupin Todd Lloyd Sarah Solon Callahan (Callie) Seltzer Liz Schoenfeld, Ph.D. Jeremy Kohomban, Ph.D Ruth White Jenny Pokempner Simone Tureck Lee