Chapin Hall

Margaret Smith is a Policy Analyst at Chapin Hall. Smith collaborates with state and local child welfare jurisdictions to build their capacity and provide guidance on practice and implementation. Her current projects include supporting Family First Prevention Services Act implementation Michigan; the implementation and evaluation of kinship navigator programs in several states across the Midwest; the development and implementation a youth navigator program; and re-launching a kinship advisory council for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Smith is particularly interested in implementation processes, centering the experiences of children and families in program development, and supporting those in the field in the development of new policies and procedures.

Prior to coming to Chapin Hall, Smith was the Associate Director of Intake and an Investigator with the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). At the OIG for DCFS, Smith led internal investigations and evaluated complaints made by members of the public—including foster parents, biological parents, and youth in care—to strengthen the state’s child welfare system. Her investigations resulted in improved services for deaf and hard of hearing parents, the development of new features for the state’s incoming Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS), and better financial support for pregnant and parenting youth in care in non-traditional placements. Smith started her career at Chinese Mutual Aid Association, a community-based social services agency that serves the immigrant and refugee community in the Greater Chicagoland area. At Chinese Mutual Aid Association, Smith was the Youth Department Manager and successfully managed cash assistance, after school, mentorship, and family programs.

Smith holds a Master of Arts in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Columbia College Chicago.