'Meant for More' Summit: Reflections From Washington, D.C.

Restore Hope was invited to Washington, D.C., to speak at the Meant for More Summit hosted by the Alliance for Opportunity. It was a gathering centered on the rapidly-shifting landscape of social services and the national push to rethink how we help families move from crisis to stability. With travel covered by the event, I took full advantage of the opportunity to schedule a number of high-value meetings around the city. What transpired over those two days was encouraging, clarifying, and affirming of the work ahead.

Re-aligning Federal Partnerships Around Community Impact

Our first stop was at HUD’s Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships with Harrison Clark, Sham, and Gavin. Their passion for supporting Communities of Care was palpable. Their federal priorities aligned closely with our 100 Families approach, and the conversation quickly shifted toward practical pathways for strengthening local supports for families in crisis.

From there, we met with our friend Ben O'dell at the HHS Faith Office. Ben was just in Arkansas during the For Others Vision Tour in August, so reconnecting so soon felt like a natural continuation of the work. He walked us across the street to the Administration for Children and Families, where we paused for a photo with the new A Home for Every Child signage—a symbolic reminder of what we are all working toward.

Inside, we visited with Alex Adams, Andrew Gradison, and Martha Verno about the bold goal of ensuring every child in foster care has a safe, loving home. Their approach—pairing strong prevention services with strategic foster family recruitment and retention—mirrors the model we are building through 100 Families and Every Child. The alignment was energizing.

Strengthening Family Integrity

At lunch on day one, I met with the National Council for Family Integrity—Joanne Sumner, David Woolf, and their team. Their commitment to keeping families safely together is both substantive and heartfelt. They are working diligently to promote approaches that stabilize families before they fracture, and our conversation confirmed how well their work fits alongside Restore Hope’s prevention and reunification efforts. Partnerships like these are vital as we build a system that keeps more families whole.

Momentum for the Work Ahead

This trip reinforced our commitment to strengthen prevention, preservation, and reunification strategies in every community we serve. And through Every Child partners, we remain focused on supporting foster family recruitment and retention so children can remain safe and connected.

Over the next several months, we will release a multistate dashboard that transparently tracks progress in Arkansas, Iowa, and other states adopting the Restore Hope model—providing insights on what works and where the gaps remain.

We ended day one at a reception inside our beautiful U.S. Capitol, a meaningful close to a day filled with alignment and renewed purpose.

A special thank you to Morgan Warbington from Governor Sanders’ office and Kristi Putnam for joining many of these meetings. Their perspectives were invaluable in demonstrating the full scope of Arkansas’s work in collective impact.

Day Two: Purpose, Data, and Hope

Day two of the summit delivered incredibly strong content. Rachel Barkley, the Executive Director of the Alliance for Opportunity, opened with a powerful framing on how work provides purpose, belonging, and a sense of direction—elements essential for family stability.

Arkansas Senator Jane English and Representative Mary Bentley contributed to a panel facilitated by the Pelican Institute, highlighting how state policy can shape real-world outcomes for families.

Later, Caryn Hederman moderated a session with Arkansas Chief Data Officer Robert McGough, who showcased major advancements using Civiform, Launch, and HopeHub technologies. These tools are transforming how people access services and how communities measure results.

Justin Brown, the CEO of Global True North and the former Oklahoma Secretary of Human Services, followed with an inspiring presentation on the science of hope—reminding us that hope is not an abstract concept but a measurable, teachable force that changes outcomes.

Les Ford of the Alliance for Opportunity then led two impressive panels featuring experts from HUD, USDA, and HHS. They dissected key requirements in HR1 and laid out realistic strategies for states ready to reshape their systems. The possibilities they outlined were both bold and achievable.

What’s at Stake: Fixing a Safety Net Full of Holes

Throughout every meeting and panel, one shared theme emerged: America’s safety net is broken—or at least full of holes large enough for entire families to fall through. Commissioner Carter recently released his new book, There Are Holes in the Safety Net. His wisdom, paired with his clear-eyed diagnosis of the system’s failings, has resonated deeply with me and I am struck by how aligned his thinking is with the work Restore Hope has been doing on the ground for years.

Across the country, states are realizing that the current patchwork of programs—however well intentioned—does not reliably produce stability, dignity, or upward mobility for families. The Meant for More Summit made clear that we are entering a new era where states are ready to rethink the safety net, infuse accountability and hope into service delivery, and rebuild systems that empower rather than entangle the people they are designed to support.

Rachel Barkley and her team at Alliance For Opportunity are leaders in giving states the tools and resources to tackle this opportunity. Restore Hope is uniquely positioned in this national moment. Our Communities of Care model provides a practical on-ramp for states looking to repair what’s broken and rebuild what’s possible.

Closing Out With Purpose

I was honored to close the summit alongside Steve Taylor of Stand Together Trust and Nic Dunn of Utah. Steve is an engaging facilitator, and it was a privilege to share the Restore Hope model with leaders from 23 states who are looking for real solutions that strengthen families and rebuild trust in the systems meant to serve them.

Here’s to the new frontier. May we build it better than ever before.