Overview
Think of Us is a nonprofit research and design lab reforming the U.S. child welfare system. It partners with government agencies, lawmakers, and foundations to design and implement scalable, data-driven solutions at federal, state, and local levels, centering the lived experiences of foster youth and families. It uses technology, research, and design through programs like Virtual Support Services and a data-informed approach to prevent entry, promote kinship care, and support youth aging out. It is funded by grants and major philanthropic partnerships, with notable support including a $47.5 million, five-year commitment from The Audacious Project to raise $100 million total, and maintains a 40,000-person lived-experience database to co-design solutions.
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Simplify's take
What believers are saying
- May 2026 Hilton Foundation gave $1.53 million for federal foster care implementation.
- June 2026 Texas kinship micro-grants show productized support still reaches caregivers.
- August 2026 donation pages said nearly $50 million committed toward the $100 million campaign.
What critics are saying
- Grant dependence concentrates risk; Audacious Project funding ends after 2028 if fundraising stalls.
- Child welfare reforms depend on ACF, HUD, and state adoption cycles, slowing impact.
- If philanthropic renewals weaken, Think of Us loses operating runway and scale.
What makes Think of Us unique
- Sixto Cancel built Think of Us from foster-care lived experience, not academic theory.
- May 2026 Christine Norbut Beyer joined, strengthening federal child welfare implementation credibility.
- Think of Us combines research, technology, policy, and direct kinship-cash pilots.
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