Kristen Kiefer is in as the new executive director of Generations United, a national nonprofit focused on advocating for kinship caregivers and support for intergenerational communities.
She takes over for the organization’s longtime leader, Donna Butts, who announced in January that she would be stepping down. Butts led the organization for 27 years, the majority of its independent existence; Generations United was started as a coalition of groups including AARP and Child Welfare League of America, and became a standalone nonprofit in 1997.
Kiefer most recently led Historic Manassas, Inc., a nonprofit built to lead the revitalization of the Virginia town’s Main Street corridor. Before that she spent 18 years in various leadership roles with the National Council on Aging, which also served as a founding organization that launched Generations United.
Kiefer “has an extensive and impactful career working on behalf of older adults and brings a passion for intergenerational solutions that value people at all ages and stages of life,” said Joe Cuticelli, Generations United’s board chair. “We are pleased to have found a leader of her caliber to guide the organization forward.”
Kiefer takes the helm at an intriguing time in federal policy. During the Biden administration, federal regulations were issued that empowered states to develop alternative paths to approval for kinship foster parents, and also made clear that those caregivers should be financially supported on par with other foster parents. The Department of Health and Human Services also granted Generations United about $10 million to launch a national technical assistance center for kinship caregivers and providers working to support them.
The early days of the Trump administration have not brought much in the way of changes or new priorities for federal child welfare policy. But Trump’s pick to lead the Administration for Children and Families, Alex Adams, will likely be confirmed soon, having received approval from the Senate Finance Committee.
Butts will stay on with Generations United as a senior fellow, and is working on a book.