ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Governor’s Office for Children on behalf of the Children’s Cabinet participated in a roundtable discussion today along with children’s cabinets, councils, and coordinating bodies from across the nation. Over 35 people attended the roundtable, including 23 representatives of 11 states with an additional 14 staff and national experts. The two-day event gave state children’s cabinet directors and members a chance to discuss best practices, innovative strategies, and challenges of coordinating across agencies and departments to serve the holistic needs of children and youth in their state.
“We were thrilled for both our office and the Maryland Youth Advisory Council to serve as models in this productive roundtable conversation as we seek to equip families to better thrive in Maryland and help other offices and organizations across our nation,” said Jaclin Warner Wiggins, Acting Executive Director of the Governor’s Office for Children. “Opportunities to collaborate with and learn from experts throughout the country are vital to achieving our goals and fostering healthy progress within our communities.”
Each year, the Forum for Youth Investment – an action tank dedicated to helping young people prepare for college, work, and life – hosts the Children’s Cabinet Network Roundtable for State Children’s Cabinets. The Forum works with state and local leaders, as well as leadership groups, to develop strategies that will strengthen state and local partnerships which focus on young people, expand and improve learning opportunities for all youth, and advance policies and resources to maximize accomplishment.
During the event, Darius Craig, chair of the Maryland Youth Advisory Council attended a joint lunch between the National Governors Association Learning Lab and the State Children’s Cabinet Network to give a presentation on the Council’s experiences influencing policy. Mr. Craig joined speakers from Kansas and Indiana on a panel providing mentorship to those seeking to learn about the efforts of the Council.