Youth Affairs

COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COMMITTEE ON YOUTH AFFAIRS AGENDA 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004 COUNCILMEMBER ZACHARY PARKER, CHAIRPERSON, COMMITTEE ON YOUTH AFFAIRS ANNOUNCES A BUDGET OVERSIGHT HEARING ON Fiscal Year 2027 Budget for Office of the Ombudsperson for Children and Child and Family Services Agency Thursday, May 12, 2026, 12:00 p.m. Room 500 of the John A. Wilson Building Virtually via Zoom Watch live at: https://dccouncil.gov/hearings/ And https://www.youtube.com/@councilmemberzac haryparker AGENDA I. CALL TO ORDER II. OPENING REMARKS III. PUBLIC WITNESSES The National Center for Children and Families 1. Ralph Belk (NCCF) 2. Thomas Selishev The Family Place, Washington, D.C. 3. Tracy Velazquez Council for Court Excellence 4. Joshua Miller Open City Advocates 5. Fernanda Ruiz Mary's Center 6. Carlos Merchan Mary's Center 7. Tami Weerasingha-Cote Children's Law Center 8. Leah Castelaz Children's Law Center 9. Chris Gamble Children's Law Center 10. Susan Punnett Family & Youth Initiative 11. Princess Simms Public Witness 12. Zaniya Torres Public Witness 13. Cierra Bailey Public Witness 14. Olivia Thomas Okwemba Public Witness 15. Khary Wood Time For Change 16. Kristi Matthews-Jones DC Girls' Coalition 17. Natalia Otero DC SAFE 18. Maryellen Ryan DC KinCare Alliance 19. Donte Massey DC KinCare Alliance 20. Terra Martin Families for Justice 21. Melody Webb Mother's Outreach Network 22. Angel Brand Mother's Outreach Network 23. Blair Green Mother's Outreach Network 24. Akua Danqua Mother's Outreach Network 25. Sharon Harris Mother's Outreach Network 26. Amy Allen Mother's Outreach Network 27. Shirley Smith Public Witness 28. Dr. Dawn Sherman Community of Hope 29. Maxx Tapp Collaborative Solutions for Communities 30. Dionne Reeder Far SE Family Strengthening Collaborative 31. Penny Griffith Collaborative Solutions for Communities 32. Lucy Gebreegziabher Collaborative Solutions for Communities 33. Rahman Branch East River Family Strengthening Collaborative Edgewood/Brookland Family Support 34. Izayah Williams Collaborative Edgewood/Brookland Family Support 35. Gabriela Pointer Collaborative Edgewood/Brookland Family Support 36. Kristine DuPree Collaborative Edgewood/Brookland Family Support 37. Crystal Ferguson Collaborative 38. Tamitha Davis-Rama Edgewood Brookland Support Collaborative Edgewood/Brookland Family Support 39. Karen Alston Collaborative 40. Yolanda Facey (and Child) Public Witness 41. Crystal Daniels East River Family Strengthening Collaborative 42. Wanda Duckett East River Family Strengthening Collaborative 43. Takessa Allen East River Family Strengthening Collaborative 44. Debra Gittens GA Family Support Collaborative 45. Teeda Jagne-Saine Georgia Avenue Family Support Collaborative 46. Pamela Long Georgia Avenue Family Support Collaborative 47. Ziykillya Ahmad Georgia Avenue Family Support Collaborative 48. Meghan Clayton Horton's Kids 49. Lauren Wallace Horton's Kids 50. Lakia Mable Horton's Kids 51. Latonya Ames Public Witness 52. Brian Haskins Public Witness 53. LaToya Mathews Community of Hope 54. Kelly Sweeney McShane Community of Hope 55. Debbra McCall Brightwood Family Success Center 56. Angela Draughn Martha's Table 57. Matt Miller Martha's Table 58. Tanica Chew Public Witness 59. Donnella Jordan Public Witness 60. Esther Hardesty Public Witness 61. Shamira Vang Public Witness 62. Jacqueline Cameron Public Witness 63. Maka Taylor Global Gains Consulting 64. Shelton Donaldson Public Witness 65. Kimberly Williams-Jenkins Public Witness 66. Keniya Parks Public Witness 68. Heather Holt Public Witness 69. Claudia Sosa Public Witness 70. Yvonne Hargrove Public Witness 71. Patrice Lancaster Public Witness 72. Kelly Hood Public Witness 73. Symmone Hunter Public Witness 74. Darene Barnett Public Witness 75. Timika Liverpool Public Witness 76. Talia Chestnut Public Witness 77. Peggyanne Brown Public Witness 78. Courtney Hester-Green Public Witness 79. Kimberly Jackson Public Witness 80. Diamond Gray Public Witness 81. Crystal Daniels Public Witness 82. Wanda Duckett Public Witness 83. Takeesa Allen Public Witness 84. Charmaine Bloomfield Public Witness 85. Canethia Millet Public Witness IV. GOVERNMENT WITNESSES 1. Petrina Jones-Jesz, Ombudsperson for Children 2. Tanya Torres Trice, Director, Child and Family Services Agency V. ADJOURNMENT