On January 2, 2008, Janet Reynolds Snyder assumed her new role as executive director of the Michigan Federation for Children and Families.

Janet brings to the Federation extensive advocacy skills and knowledge of both the public child welfare system and private, nonprofit human services sector. For the past 14 years, she served as executive director of Hear My Voice, a nonprofit child advocacy organization based in Ann Arbor, whose mission focused on safe, permanent families for children in foster care, kinship placements and contested adoptions.

While leading Hear My Voice, Janet built successful collaborations with courts, agencies, legislators, state child welfare administrators and individual experts in the field as well as credibility with state and national media markets as subject matter experts regarding child welfare matters. Her work led to the organization’s national recognition for outstanding work in the field of child welfare from the Congressional Coalition for Adoption Institute (2004 Angel in Adoption Award).

She is a member of Michigan’s Foster Care Review Board Statewide Advisory Committee and co-chairs its Subcommittee on Legislative Issues. She is also a member of the State of Michigan’s Citizen’s Review Panel on Prevention.

Janet earned her MBA from Spring Arbor University and her Bachelor’s in Education from the University of Michigan. Additionally, she earned in 2007 a Mediation Certification from the Michigan State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) and completed Domestic Violence Protocol Screening Training for Mediators through SCAO.

The Michigan Federation for Children and Families is a statewide association of private, nonprofit child and family serving agencies, advocacy and coordinating organizations and individuals devoted to protecting children, building families and strengthening communities. The Federation has advocated for vulnerable children and families since 1969.

Janet Reynolds Snyder