Jennifer Jones, MSW

Jennifer Jones joined Prevent Child Abuse America as Chief Strategy Officer in February 2021. Previously, she served as the director of the Change in Mind Institute and the co-director for Safety and Resilience for the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities. At the Change in Mind Institute, Jones helped to advance a common understanding of the core story of brain development and integrate this knowledge into the social and public services sectors. She led all aspects of the institute, including recently raising $1.7 million for the Texas Change in Mind Learning Collaborative and National Impact Study. Jones also served as the project director of the Child Safety Forward Initiative, a three-year Department of Justice cooperative agreement working with five jurisdictions to develop community-led, systematic solutions to reduce child fatalities caused by child maltreatment.

Additionally, Jones consults and advises organizations on brain science, child welfare, and child and family well-being issues; she works closely with national organizations and congressional representatives to advance brain science infused policy and trauma-informed care legislation.

Prior to her positions with the Alliance, Jones served as the Associate Director of the Wisconsin Children’s Trust Fund (CTF). For her last two years at the agency, she served as Interim Executive Director, at the board’s request, and coordinated all activities related to the governor-appointed Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board, including supervising staff, managing all operations, and overseeing the agency’s budget and grantmaking functions.

Preceding her positions with the Children’s Trust Fund, Jones served as the communications specialist in the Secretary’s Office at the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families and as a child welfare policy advisor in the Wisconsin Division of Children and Family Services. She is currently on the Board of Directors of the Hunger Task Force, and the National HOPE Advisory Board.

Jennifer received her master’s in social work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and bachelor’s in social work from Marquette University.