Think of Us Welcomes Christine Norbut Beyer as Executive in Residence
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington, D.C. (Monday, May 4, 2026) -- Think of Us (TOU) today announced that Christine Norbut Beyer, MSW, will join the organization as Executive in Residence, supporting efforts in Innovation for Prevention.
Christine brings more than 30 years of experience across government, philanthropy, and nonprofit sectors, with a distinguished record of transforming child and family systems through equity and community-centered design.
Most recently serving as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Children and Families since 2018, Christine redefined the agency into a child- and family-serving system, helping position New Jersey as a national leader in child welfare transformation. Under her leadership, the state:
● Reduced foster care removals by 56%, achieving one of the lowest entry rates in the nation
● Advanced landmark initiatives such as Kinship First legislation
● Increased investment in children's mental health systems by $180 million
Christine's leadership has consistently centered family voice and healing-centered practice, reshaping how systems support children and families nationwide.
In her role as Executive in Residence, Christine will help innovate TOU’s new Connect Me practice model, a model designed to test how AI can be used not as a tool but as a full collaborator in resource navigation. These sites serve as collaborative partnerships to pilot tools, collect data, and generate insights that improve outcomes for young people and kinship caregivers.
A key focus of her work will use the model to connect young people and families to the services and support they need, when they need them. The model is continuously tested, refined, and scaled through these sites to strengthen prevention efforts across systems.
Christine will bring her deep expertise in primary prevention, system redesign, and data-driven policy to accelerate this work, ensuring that innovation is grounded in lived experience and measurable impact.
"Christine's commitment to prevention, her ability to drive systems change, and her unwavering focus on families align deeply with our mission. We are thrilled to welcome her to Think of Us as we continue building the future of child welfare — one that is proactive and centered on connection." — Sixto Cancel, Founder & CEO, Think of Us
“I am incredibly excited to join Think of Us at such a pivotal moment. This organization is leading the way in reimagining how we support children and families, moving upstream to prevention and leveraging innovation to meet people where they are. I look forward to advancing resource navigation and working alongside partners to build systems that are truly responsive and grounded in community voice.” — Christine Norbut Beyer
Christine Norbut Beyer has dedicated her career to child welfare transformation. Prior to her role as Commissioner, she served as Senior Director at Casey Family Programs, where she partnered with states and jurisdictions nationwide to improve outcomes for children and families. She holds a Master of Social Work in Administration, Policy, and Planning from Rutgers University; a Bachelor of Social Work Richard Stockton College of New Jersey; and completed the Ascend Fellowship at the Aspen Institute. Read her full biography here.
About Think of Us
Think of Us (TOU) is a national nonprofit that uses data, technology, policy, and lived experience to help transform the foster care system into a child and family well-being system.
Media Contact:
Tomeka B. Scales, Ph.D.
Director of Communications and Marketing
media@thinkofus.org
