Shirley Adelstein, Ph.D., M.P.P.
Social Science Research Analyst, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Dr. Adelstein’s work focuses on early childhood and family strengthening, including early care and education, home visiting, work and family, parenting, and promoting healthy relationships. She has more than a decade of experience studying programs that promote child and family well-being. Prior to joining the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Dr. Adelstein held research positions at Georgetown University, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and the Urban Institute. She holds a B.A. in social history from New York University and completed her M.P.P. and Ph.D. in government at Georgetown University.
Moushumi Beltangady, A.M., M.P.P.
Senior Policy Analyst for Early Childhood Development, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood Development, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Ms. Beltangady works across federal agencies on a variety of early childhood development issues, with a focus on American Indian and Alaska Native issues. She serves as the Administration for Children and Families’ lead for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program and is the program manager for the Tribal Home Visiting Program and the Tribal Early Learning Initiative. Ms. Beltangady holds a master’s degree in social services administration from the School of Social Services Administration at the University of Chicago and a master’s degree in public policy from the Harris School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago.
Clinton Boyd, Jr., Ph.D.
Researcher, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago
For the last 10 years, Dr. Boyd has utilized evidence to ensure social policies, public institutions, nonprofit agencies, and social service providers value fathers as assets to their children, families, and communities. His research primarily examines how the life course events of Black men shape their experiences as fathers, especially concerning home visiting programs. Dr. Boyd has co-authored several articles, book chapters, and reports on his work with Black fathers. His broader research interests focus on urban sociology, race and ethnicity, and inequality. He earned his Ph.D. in sociology at Georgia State University while receiving dual support from the Doris Duke Fellowship for the Promotion of Child Well-Being and ZERO TO THREE Fellowship.
Deborah Daro, Ph.D.
Senior Research Fellow, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago
For more than 30 years, Dr. Daro has helped develop and assess evidence-based home visiting programs, including the federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. She also helped develop Healthy Families America, one of the field’s evidence-based models. Among her many responsibilities at Chapin Hall, Dr. Daro leads a program that nurtures promising leaders and innovative approaches for preventing child abuse. She earned her Ph.D. in social welfare from the University of California, Berkeley.
Karen Howard, J.D.
Independent Consultant
Ms. Howard has been advocating for policies that support the healthy development of children and families for decades. She has served as a policy director at the Alliance for Early Success, where she led a portfolio of state and national partnerships and investments focused on home visiting, child welfare, family economic stability, and racial equity policies for young children and their families. Prior to joining the Alliance, Ms. Howard served as the vice president of early childhood policy at First Focus on Children, where she led the organization’s work in cross-cutting policy initiatives. She previously served as the director of policy for Nurse-Family Partnership and as legislative counsel in the office of Colorado Senator Ken Salazar. Earlier in her career, she served as deputy attorney general in the Colorado Office of the Attorney General. Ms. Howard received her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.
Catriona Macdonald, M.P.P.
Founder and President, Linchpin Strategies, LLC
Ms. Macdonald is the founder and president of Linchpin Strategies, a strategic consulting and government relations firm in Washington, DC. She also serves as the executive director for the Association of State and Tribal Home Visiting Initiatives, which she helped found in 2015. Previously, Ms. Macdonald was the vice president for policy at a government/public relations firm in the DC area. Her experience on Capitol Hill includes working for Senator Edward Kennedy on the Senate Labor Committee; staffing domestic social issues for Congressman Steny Hoyer, the House Majority Leader; and serving as the legislative director for Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations. Her executive branch experience includes working as a budget and policy analyst in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Ms. Macdonald received an M.P.P. from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Mary Mackrain, M.Ed., IMH-E (IV)
Managing Project Director, Education Development Center
Ms. Mackrain provides leadership and support to teams leading maternal and child health, early childhood behavioral/physical health, and quality improvement projects. Her portfolio includes several projects related to the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, including the Home Visiting Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network, Home Visiting Improvement Action Center Team, and the Home Visiting Performance Measurement and Continuous Quality Improvement Technical Assistance Center. Ms. Mackrain received her M.Ed. in educational psychology from Wayne State University and her Level IV Infant mental health endorsement in policy from the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.
Kyle Peplinski, M.A.
Branch Chief, Policy, Data, and Technical Assistance Coordination, Division of Home Visiting and Early Childhood Systems, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration
Mr. Peplinski is primarily responsible for developing funding opportunities and programmatic guidance, implementing a continuous program of research and evaluation, and developing and overseeing technical assistance and communications materials for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program and other early childhood systems investments within the Division of Home Visiting and Early Childhood Systems. He has overseen the redesign of several performance measurement systems, led national evaluations, and contributed to significant updates to program policy and technical assistance. Mr. Peplinski holds an M.A. in medical anthropology from Georgia State University.
Lesley Schwartz, M.S.W., LCSW, ACSW
Manager, Program Evaluation and Research, Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development, Illinois
Ms. Schwartz is a licensed clinical social worker with a range of experience in the development of prevention and early intervention programs, research, credentialing, database development, public education campaigns, and direct service. In her roles as program coordinator, supervisor, manager, and director, Ms. Schwartz has worked for 13 years to build collaborations that provide seamless community services among home visiting, infant mental health, domestic violence, and substance abuse. Since 2012, she has been the manager of program evaluation and research for the Illinois Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program in the Illinois Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development.
Allison West, Ph.D., M.S.W.
Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Dr. West’s research interests focus on promoting the health and well-being of expectant families and families with young children facing multiple, complex adversities. She leads several state and national home visiting projects, including research to strengthen provider-family communication, service coordination, and services for special populations, such as parents with intellectual disabilities and families affected by substance use. Before transitioning to a career in applied research and evaluation, Dr. West was a clinical social worker and community-based program administrator. She has a Ph.D. in social work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
