Jeff Katz is a
nationally recognized expert on issues of adoption and
foster care. His op-ed pieces have been published in the
Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor, Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel, Providence Journal, and other publications. He
has led workshops at national conferences, testified before
Congress, and participated in adoption programs at the
White House.
Jeff was the Executive
Director of Adoption Rhode Island, an agency that recruits
families to adopt children from Rhode Island’s child
welfare system, for ten years. In that role, he played a
leadership role in several important adoption initiatives,
on both a state and federal level. On a state level, he
organized a successful campaign to rewrite Rhode Island’s
laws on termination of parental rights. In 1996, Jeff
worked closely with leaders in Rhode Island to organize
“Families First,” a unique public-private partnership of
leaders in government, business, human services and private
philanthropy -- all working together to promote the
adoption of children from foster care.
The Families First Leadership fr. left to
right- Alan Hassenfeld, CEO of Hasbro Toys, Governor and
Mrs. Lincoln Almond, Dave Thomas of Wendys Restaurants, Dan
Barry Adoption Rhode Island Board President, and Jeff
Katz
On a national level,
Jeff played a leadership role in several important
campaigns. In 1995, he worked with national child welfare
leaders in the campaign to prevent “block granting” of
adoption and foster care, working closely with Senator John
Chafee of Rhode Island, who cast the deciding vote that
prevented the Senate from passing block grant legislation.
In 1997, he worked closely with national adoption leaders
and Senator Chafee to pass the Adoption and Safe Families
Act, landmark reform based, in part, on Rhode Island’s
reforms. In 1998, Jeff helped prevent passage of a
regressive adoption tax credit that would have benefited
affluent parents adopting babies at the expense of older,
harder to place children.
Jeff Katz with First Lady Hillary Clinton
at the White House
Jeff has served on the Board of Directors or Advisory Board
of several national organizations including the National
Adoption Center, the Adoption Exchange Association, and the
Adoption Resource Exchange for Single Parents. In 1996,
Jeff received an “Adoption Activist” award from the North
American Council on Adoptable Children.
Jeff attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at
Harvard University, where he was a Public Service Fellow
and received a Masters Degree in Public Administration.
After completing his Masters at Harvard, Jeff served as a
Fellow at the Kennedy School, where he developed the
Listening to Parents Project. He also holds a Masters
Degree in Social Work from Boston University.
