I am honored to begin my journey as the new public policy director at Children’s Home Society of Washington (CHSW). I bring more than a decade worth of experience in the child and family advocacy space, with active advocacy involvement on the  state, local, and national levels, supporting parents and strengthening the capacity of communities to respond to the needs and interests of families.

My personal experience navigating the child welfare system has driven me to go further in the work that is desperately needed to support children and families facing hardships like my own.  After my case closed, I kissed and hugged my child and got busy helping other parents to reunify with their children too. 

My multifaceted exposure to systems navigation illustrated the need for systems-level change and ignited within me a commitment to continuing work as a critical voice and effective advocate for children and families in Washington state, and across the country.

My love for being a contributor in supporting transformation and restoration for families is what drives my advocacy efforts. I know firsthand the power of change agents and the profound impact it can have on altering the trajectory of the lives of children and families. My motivation lies in the belief that we should help build protective factors for parents so they can nurture and positively parent their children. CHSW's commitment to prioritizing our work to strengthen and support strong families and continue building thriving communities are key reasons I joined the organization.

System gaps require a strategic policy change to build bridges and culturally responsive resources for families. My mission in the advocacy work I do is to underscore that families are not destined only for survival and to ensure that they prosper personally and within their community. It is critical to invest our efforts in prevention and early intervention to support families before they are in crisis. I believe that policy change is the pathway to create, build, and sustain thriving families and communities.

I am thrilled  to embark on this new journey with CHSW. The organization is poised for bold action as the system moves toward evolutionary change—prevention and family preservation are two vital strategies to achieve positive results for children and families and build a promising future for our children.  

Shrounda Selivanoff is the director of Public Policy for Children’s Home Society of Washington