SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

Alise Hegle is a compassionate ally and forceful advocate for birth parents. As a peer mentor for Washington state’s Parents to Parents Program, she uses her own life lessons to engender hope in families involved in the dependency system. She works for Children’s Home Society of Washington, where she makes sure the birth parent perspective is reflected in state and local policy, practice and system reforms in child welfare. Ms. Hegle’s daughter was removed at birth due to her struggles with substance abuse and a pending prison sentence. As part of her sentencing, however, Ms. Hegle participated in a treatment program and reunified the following year with her daughter, now nearly 9. Ms. Hegle shares her story of reunification not only to inspire birth parents, but also to educate state and federal policymakers about systemic barriers that impede families from thriving.

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA

Rosalio Chavoya works as a mentor parent with Dependency Advocacy Center, a nonprofit that provides free legal services to parents involved in Santa Clara County’s child welfare system, including many who seek reunifications with their children. The center had represented Mr. Chavoya through his own successful family reunification. He had entered the juvenile dependency system with a history of substance abuse, crime and gang activity — including time spent incarcerated. As a provider of peer-to-peer support, Mr. Chavoya relates especially well to fathers re-entering society after incarceration. His guidance has led to many successful reunifications between fathers and children in Santa Clara County. Mr. Chavoya also provides leadership through committees, trainings and presentations within the child welfare arena, working alongside judges, attorneys, social workers and a variety of community stakeholders.

MELBOURNE, FLORIDA

Robin Whiting has adopted five children and fostered more than 30, most of them needing extensive medical care. A trained emergency medical technician, neonatal nurse and the first female firefighter in Brevard County, Fla., she helped launch the county’s Medical Foster Care Program, which helps foster parents care for medically fragile children. While serving as a medical foster care coordinator in 2004, Ms. Whiting met Robie, an 11-month-old boy whom doctors said would never walk, talk or thrive. Ms. Whiting adopted Robie, and today he walks, talks, rides horses, swims, kayaks and is the very picture of happiness. Since welcoming Robie into her family, Ms. Whiting has adopted three of Robie’s biological sisters and a 2-year-old girl with a history of three open-heart surgeries.

OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON

Lynn Urvina is a kinship navigator for the nonprofit Family Education and Support Services. She provides practical and emotional support to caregivers who, like her, are raising grandchildren. She helps kinship caregivers traverse court systems, work with Child Protective Services and advocate on behalf of the children. She also links them to benefits and services they need to raise children successfully. In addition, Ms. Urvina facilitates the Washington state Kinship Caregiver Support Program in her local area. She and her husband began raising her granddaughter, Tara, when the child was 11 months old. It was not always easy and Ms. Urvina sought help by attending a kinship support group. One evening, a local kinship navigator made a presentation to the group and mentioned that she soon would be leaving the job. Ms. Urvina knew right then that kinship navigation was her calling.

TULSA, OKLAHOMA

Lupe O. Tovar possesses one of the strongest voices of alumni of foster care in the country. She has been active in Foster Care Alumni of America, founding local chapters in Arizona and Oklahoma, and serving on the national board of directors for 10 years. Working through local and national alumni chapters, she helps to plan and host annual holiday dinners that serve as reunions at a time when many young alumni struggle with finding a place to connect. Ms. Tovar has helped push for critical child welfare reforms on the federal level. She has participated in Capitol Hill briefings, testified before congressional committees and attended the 2011 Oval Office signing of the Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act. In 2015, the White House recognized her as a Foster Care Youth Champion of Change.