In this re-release of one of our most resonant Season One episodes, we revisit the conversation with Jay Dugger, Chief Judge of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court in Hampton, Virginia. Host Valerie Frost wanted to bring this episode back because the story continues to matter. Judges hold a lot of power within their communities and Judge Dugger is a great example of how judicial influence can advance family well-being.

In the original episode, Season One hosts Tecoria and Elliott sat down with Judge Dugger to explore the critical role judges can play in transforming child welfare. Judge Dugger, speaking in his personal capacity, shared how collaborative leadership and proximity to families helped reduce the number of children in foster care in Hampton from 300 to about 80, with only one child in residential treatment.

He offers a powerful view of how judges, often seen as decision-makers from the bench, can also step into community spaces to help lead upstream solutions. His reflections underscore how judges can convene, center family voice, and act as changemakers in the family well-being movement.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who wants to better understand the influence of judicial leadership in shaping systems that support, not separate, families.

Check Out Community In-Site's Blog!! You can go to the website to listen to episodes, read the blog, access information and resources, and subscribe to the email newsletter. Podcasts Archive - Thriving Families

Here are some additional resources Judge Dugger would like to share with you.

• A Model for Collaboration and Results - The Annie E. Casey Foundation
• UMW Honors 2024 Alumni Award Recipients at Reunion Weekend - Giving to Mary Washington

We appreciate you spreading awareness by sharing this episode with your friends, family, and colleagues who care about family well-being.

Please email us if you want to connect with the creative team or find out how to engage with the family well-being movement. comminsite@gmail.com

In this episode, Valerie sits down with Carol Mitchell, a seasoned attorney, social justice advocate, and founder of the Institute for Black Justice (IBJ). With over 20 years of public sector leadership experience, Carol is dedicated to transforming how systems recognize and support Black fathers as essential caregivers and partners in family well-being.

Based in Washington State, IBJ is committed to uplifting Black families by addressing systemic bias and promoting policies that center Black fathers’ dignity and leadership within family and community life. For example, the BABAS Program empowers dads to successfully navigate systemic challenges, achieve reunification with their children, and build healthy, enduring parent-child relationships.

This episode explores the often-overlooked role of fathers, especially Black fathers, in caregiving and systems change. Carol and Valerie discuss the historical and cultural pressures shaping fatherhood, and why naming and centering fathers in child welfare and family support systems is critical for true justice and healing.

Tune in to hear powerful stories from Carol’s advocacy work and discover practical ways child welfare leaders and others can shift their approach to engage fathers authentically and respectfully.

Check Out Community In-Site's Blog!! You can go to the website to listen to episodes, read the blog, access information and resources, and subscribe to the email newsletter. Podcasts Archive - Thriving Families

Here are some additional resources Carol would like to share with you.

• Learn more and register for IBJ's Summer Freedom Symposium. 2025 Freedom Summer Symposium
• Institute for Black Justice Services
• Carol Mitchell, M.A., J.D. | LinkedIn
• Institute for Black Justice Facebook

We appreciate you spreading awareness by sharing this episode with your friends, family, and colleagues who care about family well-being.

Please email us if you want to connect with the creative team

Please email us if you want to connect with the creative team or find out how to engage with the family well-being movement. comminsite@gmail.com

In this episode, Valerie sits down with Sarah Winograd, the visionary and founder behind Together With Families, an organization committed to transforming the way we approach family support. Sarah explains the philosophy behind Together with Families and Playbook on their Relational Practice Approach, which emphasizes showing up for families not as service providers, but as genuine partners.

The heart of Together With Families is the belief that families don’t need to be fixed—they need to be seen, heard, and truly supported. In this conversation, Sarah takes us beyond the transactional models that dominate child welfare systems, where families are treated as cases, to a more profound approach where relationships, trust, and partnership are at the core.

We explore the systemic changes necessary for building these kinds of relationships and how a simple shift from “fixing” families to walking alongside them can have a transformative effect. Sarah also shares real-life examples and the impact this approach has had on families in crisis, as well as how it is changing the way providers work across the nation.

Check Out Community In-Site's Blog!! You can go to the website to listen to episodes, read the blog, access information and resources, and subscribe to the email newsletter. Podcasts Archive - Thriving Families

Here are some additional resources Sarah would like to share with you.

• Playbook — Together with Families
• Together with Families
• Together With Families | The Founders Vision on Vimeo
• Sarah (Babayeuski) Winograd | LinkedIn

We appreciate you spreading awareness by sharing this episode with your friends, family, and colleagues who care about family well-being.

Please email us if you want to connect with the creative team or find out how to engage with the family well-being movement. comminsite@gmail.com