Krista Thomas

Professional Child Welfare Experience: Since 2000
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

As a consultant and subject matter expert for the Center, Krista Thomas assists in the development of resources and works directly with states to support FFPSA implementation and reconceptualize upstream maltreatment prevention services. In her work as a Senior Policy Fellow at Chapin Hall (University of Chicago), Dr. Thomas leads blended teams of policy, practice, and research experts in efforts to build the capacity of state and local human service systems across the country to execute large-scale transformation initiatives and improve outcomes for children and families facing adversity. Leveraging opportunities like the federal title IV-E waiver authority and FFPSA legislation, Dr. Thomas partners with human service leaders to identify a set of priority outcomes, articulate a set of strategies to improve performance, execute their implementation, and monitor their effectiveness.

Dr. Thomas is a leader in Chapin Hall’s efforts to partner with jurisdictions towards the establishment of child and family well-being systems. This work includes leading Chapin Hall’s portfolio of projects focused on designing and implementing kinship navigation models, advancing community pathways to prevention services, and supporting efforts to increase families’ access to economic and concrete supports to address poverty-related root causes of child welfare system involvement. She has previously served as a Children and Families Program Specialist and Child Welfare Program Specialist at the Children’s Bureau.