Think of Us 3.0 | Part 1: The vision
The last two years brought the most significant federal child welfare reform in a generation. Now states and communities have to make it real for children, youth and families. Think of Us is transforming so we can help them do it.
For ten years, Think of Us has worked toward one mission, centered on lived experience and systems change. TOU 3.0 changes how we pursue it, not what we pursue.
Transform the foster care system into a child and family well-being system.
All youth and families are able to heal, develop and thrive, no matter their start.
The foundation we bring
Think of Us sparks new possibilities, supports reform and, in a few places, co-drives implementation with partners. TOU 3.0 makes that work more consistent, repeatable and sustainable.
Engage the people closest to the system in research, co-design, policy and practice, and bring their expertise into consequential decisions.
Examples in our work
Anchor partner for federal lived-experience engagement, with more than 200 people with lived experience taking part; research, lived-experience technical assistance and co-design.
Develop ideas, work with partners and help move policy toward a child and family well-being system.
Examples in our work
Federal laws and rules across four administrations, recommendations behind the Fostering the Future executive order, FYI housing voucher changes, kinship reform and California rate reform.
Operate support, work alongside implementation partners and learn directly from what children, youth and families experience.
Examples in our work
ConnectMe California, the state's kinship navigator, ConnectMe Texas and Virtual Support Services.
Create and support demonstrations that help the field see a different way for systems to work.
Examples in our work
SOUL Family, the KIN-first Accelerator with California counties and program experiments like micro cash grants.
Examples reflect work named in our strategic materials. They are not a claim that every initiative is complete or has shown final outcomes.
Federal reform changed how child welfare money can be spent, how much flexibility states have, how states are reviewed and how data is reported. If states and communities implement these reforms well, they move the country closer to a child and family well-being system.
Here is what is different now, in plain terms.
Federal funding was built mostly around foster care, after a child was removed from home.
Prevention gets a bigger federal match. Starting October 2026, it is paid at each state's Medicaid rate, as high as 83% in some states. New services qualify, like medication for opioid use disorder.
States worked toward a long list of federal targets, and relatives often had to meet the same licensing rules as strangers.
States set their own goals under A Home for Every Child and choose how to reach them. Relatives can be licensed under their own standards.
Federal reviews leaned on case file reviews and annual reports that often ran hundreds of pages.
Annual progress reports are capped at five pages. In the new review pilot, case reviews are optional, and funds are withheld only if a state doesn't carry out its agreed plan.
States reported on about 200 measures, and results could take 18 months to publish.
States report a few core measures every month, like the ratio of foster homes to children in care, and anyone can see state scorecards.
Each step builds on the last. Together they rewrite the rules states work under.
Relatives can be licensed under their own standards, with equal foster care payments.
The Supporting America's Children and Families Act becomes law, the first major child welfare reform since 2008. It cuts paperwork, strengthens kinship support and brings lived experience into state planning.
The Fostering the Future executive order calls for public state scorecards and a national platform to help youth leaving foster care find support.
A new federal review pilot centers state accountability on A Home for Every Child.
The first public dashboard of state child welfare performance launches.
Annual progress reports are capped at five pages.
Prevention moves to each state's Medicaid match rate, and a proposed rule would remove outdated reporting rules.
Scroll sideways to see every step.
states, plus DC and Puerto Rico, have approved A Home for Every Child plans, and nearly all include kinship strategies.As of October 2026
governors have pledged to open Fostering the Future accounts for youth in their states.As of June 2026
Together, they explain why we need to act now and why a different approach is possible.
There is an appetite for something different. We can offer practical ideas that help people imagine how systems could and should work.
Families and young people face rising costs and strained support. Their lives continue while institutions debate and reorganize.
A reform has to become funding decisions, usable services, trained teams and changed practice in state and local systems.
AI creates new ways to build capabilities, reduce repeated work and extend the reach of human expertise.
We grew because the work demanded it: more states, more programs, more partners and more people. Our systems did not grow at the same pace. That gap now slows down the very work we exist to do.
Even without the reform wave, these two problems would demand it.
How we approve projects, track time, code expenses and review performance should work the same way for everyone. Today, it often doesn't.
From project management to accounting, our systems were built for a smaller organization. In some areas, the systems and SOPs we need don't exist yet.
Families and youth are feeling more pressure every month, and reforms only help them once they work in practice.
Most states now have A Home for Every Child plans. They need partners who can help them implement, not just advise.
New federal flexibility and momentum are here today. Reforms need to take root in practice while that window is open.
Without new systems, the strain keeps creating chaos for our staff and our partners.
That is why TOU 3.0 starts now.
At more than 50 people, working across many states, programs and funders, a traditional structure can't keep up. A functional matrix gives every person a home for their craft and every piece of work a clear owner.
One strategy, one functional matrix, one system of accountability. AI-native capability belongs inside the redesign, not alongside it.
Collective leadership, expertise, workforce skills, capability and capacity.
Co-execution, project management, quality and routines.
ConnectMe, the Think of Us Platform, AI and data.
Decision rights, resources, safety and accountability.
Here is the difference in plain terms.
Traditional nonprofitAround programs and grants, each with its own staff.
Functional matrixDepartments are the home for people and skills. Portfolios organize the work.
Traditional nonprofitEach program or leader, often one request at a time.
Functional matrixSix portfolios set priorities against five strategic goals.
Traditional nonprofitThrough informal asks, so people get stretched across too much work.
Functional matrixDepartment Leaders confirm capacity before any work is promised.
Traditional nonprofitWork starts when someone has time, without a shared process.
Functional matrixProjects move through one process, the PDW, with clear owners and decision points.
Traditional nonprofitMost decisions travel up to the top.
Functional matrixDecisions sit at the lowest level with the authority. ELT handles tradeoffs across portfolios.
Traditional nonprofitEach team builds its own way of working.
Functional matrixShared systems and SOPs across the whole organization.
Portfolios tell us what must change. Departments make sure we have the capability to change it. Projects deliver the change. ELT reconciles the whole system. The Board governs it.
Governs, approves the budget and holds the CEO accountable.
Integrates priorities and resolves tradeoffs across portfolios.
Choose and steward the strategic work: results, priorities and which projects run.
Build and allocate the capability to deliver: people, skills, capacity, quality and systems.
Execute approved work and produce evidence of what works.
Evidence and learning move back up through the system.
A request for work is not a commitment. A portfolio states what it needs, the department says what capacity it can truly offer, both sides agree, and then the work starts.
Every project links to one of these goals.
What does a transformed system look like in practice?
How do we spread what works faster?
What new possibilities can we create?
How do we align the field for structural change?
How do we build an organization capable of this work?
A portfolio is a body of work organized around a result, with an owner who stewards it.
Expand our models to new jurisdictions.
Owner: Robert MatthewsCreate and test new, unproven approaches, models and technologies.
Owner: Sixto Cancel, interimStrengthen the capacity of partners and the broader child welfare field.
Owner: Robert MatthewsInfluence policy, shift public narratives and position Think of Us as a thought leader.
Owner: Mike LeachCo-design strategy, drive execution and build the internal capabilities, systems, culture and resources that sustain our impact.
Owner: Rafael LópezSecure the funding and strategic partnerships that fuel all our work.
Owner: Sixto Cancel, interimPortfolio owners as of October 2026. Over time, VPs will lead most portfolios.
Departments are the home for people and craft. Every department manages the same six things: people and roles, capacity, capability and growth, quality and standards, systems and processes, and overall health.
Sets enterprise direction, runs the Board and ELT rhythm and leads executive communications.
Leads SP2, with Technology & InnovationDelivers our programs and technical assistance, and reports on program results.
Leads SP1 and SP3Raises and stewards funding, manages grants and builds strategic partnerships across sectors.
Leads SP6Leads policy, communications and public engagement, and shares our ideas with the field.
Leads SP4Leads organizational strategy, planning and changes to how we work.
Leads SP5Builds, runs and improves our products, data, AI and internal tools.
Leads SP2, with the CEO OfficePortfolios run across the top. Departments run down the side. Projects happen where they meet.
| SP1Programs | SP2Innovation | SP3Field building | SP4Policy | SP5Org strategy | SP6Funding | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEO Office | Can contribute people | Leads this portfolio | Can contribute people | Can contribute people | Can contribute people | Can contribute people |
| Programs & Services | Leads this portfolio | Can contribute people | Leads this portfolio | Can contribute people | Can contribute people | Can contribute people |
| Development | Can contribute people | Can contribute people | Can contribute people | Can contribute people | Can contribute people | Leads this portfolio |
| External Engagement | Can contribute people | Can contribute people | Can contribute people | Leads this portfolio | Can contribute people | Can contribute people |
| Strategy & Operations | Can contribute people | Can contribute people | Can contribute people | Can contribute people | Leads this portfolio | Can contribute people |
| Technology & Innovation | Can contribute people | Leads this portfolio | Can contribute people | Can contribute people | Can contribute people | Can contribute people |
Scroll sideways to see every portfolio.
Leads the portfolio Can contribute people, confirmed by its own Department Leader
A capability is something we can do well, again and again, across many projects. Here is what we do today and what we need to do going forward.
Today we
Spark ideas, support reforms others lead and show what is possible in a few places.
Going forward we
Also help states and communities make reforms real, at scale, while running like the 50-plus person organization we are.
Today weAdvise and support reforms that others lead.
Going forward weShare responsibility for defined parts of implementation alongside states and counties, and measure whether practice changes.
Today weHelp shape and pass federal laws and rules.
Going forward weKnow what each reform requires, track what can pass in Congress and help states act on it.
Today weTell powerful stories and publish ideas.
Going forward weShift how leaders, practitioners and the public see what is possible, with content built for each reform and audience.
Today weBuild training program by program.
Going forward weTrain staff, partners and practitioners through one shared learning platform.
Today weHelp people find resources through ConnectMe, built largely around California's contract.
Going forward weOffer a flexible care model with planning, navigation and follow-up that any state or community can adopt.
Today weBring lived experience into policy and research, one engagement at a time.
Going forward weCo-design legislation, programs and practice with a network that pays lived experts, protects consent and lets them own their stories.
Today weSign in to many separate tools that don't talk to each other.
Going forward weSign in once to the Think of Us Platform, our CRM and the home for every custom app and tool we use.
Today weTrack projects in emails, meetings and spreadsheets, with no shared system in many departments.
Going forward wePropose, approve, staff and track every project the same way across all six portfolios.
Today weJuggle separate tools for time, performance, hiring, knowledge and e-signatures, with a lot of manual work.
Going forward weRun time, finance, performance and compliance on connected systems with clear SOPs, and let AI handle routine steps.
Today weUse AI on our own for tasks like drafting and summarizing.
Going forward weRedesign workflows around people and AI together, with a named person accountable for every result.
We are in the middle of the change, not at the start or the finish.
Ten years of centering lived experience, sparking ideas and supporting reform.
Federal reforms pass, and we help shape them.
Operating model drafted, portfolios and departments defined, 2027 plan underway.
Implement alongside states, define the system, solidify our methods and build TOU 3.0.
A Think of Us that works differently, with evidence to show for it.
The year ahead
It is the year we move from planning to doing: we implement alongside states, learn fast and turn what works into something others can use.
Start implementing alongside states and counties, and refine accelerator programs like the KIN Accelerator and the housing accelerator.
See what powers thisHelp several reform initiatives move from policy into practice, and understand which next reforms can pass in Congress.
See what powers thisLead the field to clarity on what a kinship care system and a child and family well-being system actually are.
See what powers thisTurn what we learn into methods, frameworks, products, programs and services that let others implement reforms in their own state.
See what powers thisStand up the capabilities TOU 3.0 needs and learn the new way of working together.
See what powers thisWhile we do this, we keep delivering every commitment we have today.
Think of Us 3.0 | Part 2: The engine
How Strategic Portfolio 2 and the Technology & Innovation department make TOU 3.0 and our 2027 priorities happen: by changing how we work inside, and by proving how the system should work outside.
Technology & Innovation and SP2 power both the internal operating model TOU 3.0 needs and the external proof points that show how the system should work. Each of SP2's nine projects serves one outcome or both.
Internal transformation
Design and deliver AI-native operating capabilities so a 50-plus person organization can plan, manage, learn and execute reliably.
Mission proof points
Invent and test better care models, implementation methods and shared tools with families, practitioners and jurisdictions.
Some projects serve both. The Lived Experience Network improves our own work and shows the field how lived experience should be centered.
Each of our five 2027 priorities depends on work SP2 tests and Technology & Innovation builds. Here is what powers each one.
Internal transformationMission proof pointBoth
Implement with states and counties, and refine accelerators.
Move reforms into practice, and know what can pass next.
Bring the field to clarity on kinship care and child and family well-being systems.
Make our methods and frameworks usable by others.
Stand up TOU 3.0 and the new way of working.
Primary links only. Most projects support more than one priority, and program teams lead the implementation work itself.
Technology & Innovation and SP2 are connected, but they are not the same thing. Their different jobs let them enable the whole organization.
Functional department
Builds and sustains technical capability.Provides product design, engineering, integration, data, AI architecture, technical quality, security and maintenance capacity to approved work across the organization.
Owns the who and the how.
Strategic portfolio
Chooses and tests what could work differently.Organizes approved innovation investments, new approaches and controlled experiments into projects that produce useful evidence and reusable capabilities.
Owns the what and the why.
SP2 innovationTest and validate new possibilities.
A portfolio names the result it needsFor example, faster project reporting or a new care-model feature.
The department commits people and timeLeaders confirm skills and capacity before work starts.
A project builds and tests itWith real users, a clear test for success and human oversight.
SP5 and receiving departmentsMake proven capabilities standard practice and own ongoing operations.
What works is handed off to runEvery live tool gets an owner, support and a budget.
It becomes standard practiceProven tools become part of how all of Think of Us works.
We are inventing new ways of doing things, so we need new tools. Building these capabilities the traditional way would take more people, time and money than we have. Technology & Innovation uses AI and modern tools to build them faster, keep them running and help everyone use them well.
Our job is to make sure Think of Us has the product, engineering, data, AI, security and operational capability to deliver its strategy, support people well and keep essential systems working. Technology serves the mission, so lived experience, user needs and evidence shape what we build.
Turn approved ideas into useful products, experiments, data capabilities and internal tools.
Own day-to-day technical operations: support, maintenance, security and reliability.
Make tools easier to use, healthier, more widely adopted and more cost-effective.
Manages technical staff and consultants, and commits realistic capacity to approved work.
Sets and protects engineering, data, AI and security standards.
Keeps tools running every day: uptime, monitoring, backups, access, patches, integrations and bug fixes.
Confirms each tool is ready to launch and ready to operate before it goes live.
Runs one intake route for design, engineering, data, AI, internal tools and technical support.
Tracks every tool's owner, renewal date, cost and exit options, working with Finance.
What stays with our partners. Programs owns service practice. Lived-experience and research leads own engagement and research integrity. Strategy & Operations leads changes to how we work. Finance owns financial controls. People leadership owns HR policy. Legal approves obligations. Technology builds, runs and advises.
One person can cover more than one of these, but every one needs a clear owner.
Understands users and designs tools people want to use.
Builds reliable software and connects our systems.
Turns information into trustworthy insight and evidence.
Builds approved assistants, agents and automations.
Keeps data safe and systems working.
Supports the tools staff use every day.
The Think of Us Platform is our CRM and the home for every custom internal app and the other tools staff use. It works like Okta: sign in once and see everything you are allowed to use.
Relationships with partners, funders and the states and communities we work with, in one place.
Projects, portfolios, dashboards, time, performance, hiring, knowledge and e-signatures.
Each staff member's AI assistant, built on the shared AI engine.
The outside tools we keep, reached through the same sign-in and permissions.
Existing tools stay connected through the platform until a replacement is proven and signed off.
A light rhythm, so the team spends its time building instead of in meetings.
Updates live in shared systems, so routine status needs no meeting.
Build planning and demos for active work.
A 60-minute department review of service health, capacity, people, quality and costs.
Capacity and capability resets that feed portfolio planning.
Annual department planning, before portfolios plan the next year.
Filter by outcome, or open a project to see the capability it builds, its 2027 milestone and its proof point or guardrail.
2027 milestones are proposed and still need approval through the PDW and the FY2027 budget process.
Each proof point is something real users experience, not just something we launch.
These plans run through the planning and budget process TOU 3.0 already uses. Nothing here is final until it goes through the PDW and the FY2027 budget.
The Board reviews the 2027 budget on December 2. Q1 plans with owners, staff time and measures are set by December 18.
Launch the Lived Experience Network. Start platform discovery and AI agent training. Name owners for support and operations.
Release tested pieces of the staff platform, national ConnectMe, the learning platform and the AI engine. Review the first agent pilots.
Expand what the evidence supports and stop what it doesn't. Hand proven tools to SP5 and the departments that will run them.
Check real results and verified savings, then set 2028 priorities.
We count results, not activity.