Leaders Changing the System

Partnerships for Permanence (P4P) collaborative program: Leaders Changing the System (LCS) Advisory Network 

Leaders Changing the System (LCS) Network Advisory Group is made up of dedicated, passionate, "proximate leaders" with personal and professional experience in child welfare. Amplifying the voices of individuals with lived experience is an essential ingredient for child welfare reform that addresses the disparities that Black families currently experience within the child welfare system.

LCS Advisory Network is a unique culturally-specific lived experience professional resource network for child welfare decision-makers and stakeholders to partner and collaborate for system reform and policy changes. 

Our collaborative partners include representatives from: Metro State Social Work Department Multicultural Title IV-E Child Welfare Program, Urban League Twin Cities, Ramsey County Social Services, and Casey Family Programs.

LCS Network's mission and vision is to:

• Build a collaborative approach to developing a collective message that raises awareness and recognition of Black professionals/young leaders with lived experience transforming the child welfare system in Minnesota.

• Tell a more impactful story of youth and adult professionals with lived experience that invokes awareness, support, and advocacy within the child welfare system.

• Expand Leaders Changing the System (LCS) network of mentors and coaches serving as a "relational permanency" adult resource/support to the next generation of young leaders transforming the child welfare system.

6th Annual LCS Youth and adult Summit

Join Us for Leaders Changing the System (LCS) Network “Growing Together Youth and Adult Summit” (#GTYAS 26) on August 6, 2026. Stay tuned for more information.

Youth and Adult Summit Theme and Description

“Improving outcomes for youth and adults with foster care and adoption lived experience.” 

• LCS Network Advisors envision a transformational gathering for youth and adult partners to develop a circle of support, teach life skills and future planning, and share meaningful resources to heal from the past and grow together stronger.

• This leadership summit seeks to motivate and elevate young leaders and seasoned professionals with lived experiences impacted by foster care and adoption in order to effect change within the system.

• An opportunity for youth and adults with lived experience to share with each other their common experiences as a powerful tool to inform future system change.

• Engage young adults, parents, and professionals using a reflective approach to identify limitations and challenges that hold people back, including barriers to success and future planning.

LCS Summit Outcomes and Impact

The Leaders Changing the System (LCS) Summit provides a unique opportunity for youth and adults with lived experience to come together, share their stories, and use their experiences as a powerful tool to shape and inform future system change.

Outcomes:

• P4P program participants facilitate workshops and participate in group discussions by sharing their personal experiences and perspectives within systems of care.

• Participants build connections and strengthen relationships.

• P4P program participants actively engage in the LCS Summit Planning Committee, helping to plan workshops, select presenters and honorees, creative activities, and event design/decorations etc.

Impact:

• Amplify the voices of young people and professionals with lived experience in shaping policy and practice.

• Strengthen collaboration and mutual respect between youth, adults, and system partners.

• Contribute to actionable strategies for meaningful and equitable system change.

LCS Leadership Training and Mentoring Program

The Leaders Changing the System (LCS) program is designed to help young people grow as leaders and prepare for adulthood and the professional world. We offer LCS 1.0 and 2.0 leadership training programs once a year. Each session runs for 6-weeks and is designed to build both personal and professional growth.

• LCS 1.0 – Beginner Training: Focuses on foundational life and leadership skills. Participants learn goal setting, problem-solving, communication, and how to develop their own authentic leadership style.

  LCS 2.0 – Advanced Training: Builds on the beginner program with real-world experiences like role-playing, job shadowing, and college tours. This helps participants develop emotional intelligence, public speaking, professionalism, and time management skills, preparing them for careers and higher education.

• LCS program provides a unique opportunity to enable emerging leaders to share and use their stories to help make the juvenile justice and child welfare system better.

• After successful completion of the leadership training program, emerging leaders will be presented with the opportunity to join P4P’s wider team and be paired with a volunteer mentor to help them continue on their journey to success.

• After further training, youth will later lead workshops for current or future foster and adoptive parents and industry professionals in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems.

Objectives

LCS Leadership training provides hands-on experiences to build life and leadership skills, including financial and housing planning, career and education exploration, identity development, and communication skills. Participants gain practical insights, real-world exposure, and access to career and educational resources.

Eligibility

The recruitment requirements for LCS participants are simple:

• You must be 18 years of age or older;

• You must have received a high school diploma or GED;

• You must be interested in child welfare or foster care/adoption system;

• You must have professional or life experience with the juvenile justice or foster care and/or adoption;

  • Life experience is preferred.

• You must have reliable transportation

• You must be able to devote time and a consistent level of commitment to completing tasks, projects, and participating in ongoing skills development training.

Youth and Adults who meet these requirements and are interested in being enrolled in P4P’s LCS Program should begin by filling out the LCS Participant Application below.

I am interested in…

LCS Program benefits

Program participants understand key leadership concepts such as emotional intelligence, public speaking, time management, and conflict resolution.

• Gain a clear understanding of essential career and education concepts such as professionalism, interview skills, mock interview and elevator speech.

• Awareness of personal leadership styles and areas of improvement.

• Feel inspired and confident to apply new strategies.

• Increase enthusiasm for taking on leadership roles or responsibilities.

• Effectively navigate the job search process and understand requirements and expectations of desired job.

• Ability to write a professional resume and able to execute a 5-minute elevator speech.

• Develop knowledge of career path and have an action plan.

• Build a plan to be able to secure a job and have knowledge about work ethic.

• Consistent use of new leadership practices on a daily routine.

• Improvements in collaboration, communication, and decision-making within teams.

Have a question left unanswered? Visit our Contact Us page through the button below and submit your inquiry there.

LCS Participant Application

This application should take 15-30 minutes to complete. To begin filling it out, simply click inside the white space of the fields below and enter your applicable information. If you would prefer to enter your information by hand, please print this form out, enter your information, and submit it by email with the subject titled: “LCS Application,” to: info@partnershipsforpermanence.org.

Once you are finished with the fields below, please submit your completed application by clicking the submit button at the bottom. Not all fields are required and not all fields will be applicable to you. If a field is not applicable to you, please insert a hyphen (“ - ”) in the field prior to submitting. All information submitted will be reviewed by our executive team and kept confidential in accordance with P4P’s strict internal confidentiality policies.