Part 1: Katie speaks with Ruth White, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware, about her career in improving public policy and expanding housing resources for families and youth in child welfare. Ruth discusses her work with the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare, explaining the importance of the Family Unification Program in providing housing vouchers for at-risk families. She delves into the Foster Youth to Independence initiative, which she helped develop to provide on-demand housing vouchers for youth aging out of foster care. Ruth addresses common misconceptions about child welfare funding and housing authority cooperation, offering practical advice for listeners interested in advocating for foster youth. Throughout the conversation, she emphasizes the importance of leveraging existing structures and programs to support young people transitioning out of foster care, highlighting the multifaceted approach needed for their successful independence.

Part 2: In the second part of this ChangeMakers episode, Katie continues her conversation with Ruth White, now focusing on recent legislative efforts and Ruth’s new career developments. Ruth discusses the Campus Housing Affordability Act, which aims to allow former foster youth to use housing vouchers for college dormitories. She explains the potential impact of this legislation on foster youth pursuing higher education and addresses common misconceptions about housing options for these students. Ruth then shares her transition from the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare to her new role as leader of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wilmington. The conversation concludes with Ruth’s insights on upcoming policy initiatives, including the Baseline Rent Optimum Escrow proposal and efforts to restore HUD’s Continuum of Care program to address homelessness more effectively.