Fostering Success Michigan (FSM) is a statewide initiative that aims to increase awareness, access and success in higher education and post-college careers for youth and alumni of foster care. Throughout this webinar, Maddy Day, MSW, Director of Outreach and Training for the Center for Fostering Success and Elizabeth Brass, MSW, Data Analyst for Fostering Success Michigan will share key findings from a recently completed evaluation and will highlight FSM growth and learning from the first three years. Future goals of the initiative will be highlighted and shared.

Maddy Day completed her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Washington in 2004. She went on to work for a private non-profit adoption agency in Washington State focusing on recruiting and training families to receive placements of children from the foster care system. Maddy specialized in training on transracial parenting and helping children work through grief and loss. In 2008, Maddy returned to the University of Washington to pursue her Masters in Social Work. In 2010, Maddy co-founded the University of Washington Champions Program, a recruitment and retention program for youth and alumni of foster care. Maddy graduated with her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Washington in 2011 and in 2012 she accepted a position as Director of Outreach and Training for the Center for Fostering Success at Western Michigan University. As Director of Outreach and Training, Maddy oversees Fostering Success Michigan, a statewide initiative implementing a Collective Impact strategy to increase access and success in postsecondary education for Michigan’s students from foster care.

Liz is currently the Data Analyst at Fostering Success Michigan. Prior to this, she started out as an intern and graduate assistant for FSM in 2013. Graduating from Western Michigan University in 2014 with her MSW with a concentration in Program Planning and Administration, Liz also works at the Kalamazoo County Area Agency on Aging as their Quality Assurance and Planning Coordinator. Liz is also pursuing her Social Work License and is an LLMSW. In 2011 she received her Bachelors of Social Work from Central Michigan University. Through her studies, Liz has had a wide range of professional experiences from child welfare, domestic violence, to working with the older adult population. Liz’s long term goal is to become a social work research professor to contribute knowledge to the next generation of professional social workers.