Candice Ward

As the Program Area Manager for Prevention and Child Protection at the Center, Candice Ward is responsible for leading, coordinating, and managing prevention and child protection work across the Center by leveraging her knowledge of the child welfare service continuum, child welfare policy and practice issues and experience in strategic planning, implementation design, and project management. She has more than 10 years of experience providing technical assistance and capacity building nationwide to help states and jurisdictions deploy integrated, effective responses to child maltreatment by way of innovative strategies and best practices that improve the safety and success of children and ensure families are thriving.

Ms. Ward is a licensed clinical social worker in the District of Columbia and has served children and families directly in both the New York City and the District of Columbia child welfare systems. Ms. Ward began her career as a frontline worker conducting child abuse and neglect investigations and during her career has served in several managerial and leadership positions in addressing the prevention of child maltreatment, child safety, well-being, and permanency.