Policy & Practice | Spring 2026

Writing gave me distance. Distance gave me clarity. And clarity deepened my appreciation for the scale of what you do every day. The future of human services will not be shaped solely by federal legisla tion or new platforms. It will be shaped by leaders willing to see systems as design choices, not inevitabilities. WhyThis Moment Matters The focus on the future in this issue of Policy & Practice could not be timelier. We stand at a crossroads. We can continue treating human services as residual safety nets, or we can recognize them as foundational infra structure—essential to economic resilience, community stability, and democratic trust. The work ahead requires three commitments: n To tell a fuller story about what human services are and why they matter. n To design with the people most affected, not merely for them.

That shift from managing programs to designing systems that foster belonging may be one of the most important frontiers in our work, and it is already well underway.

n To measure success not only by com pliance or caseloads but by whether people are faring well. “Faring well” reminds us of the original meaning of welfare. It invites us to measure democracy by the steadi ness of people’s footing—and by the well-being of all of us. As I prepare to join you at the APHSA National Human Services Summit , I come as a collaborative partner shaped by your example. American Welfare carries insights forged through con versations, site visits, conferences, hallway debates, and shared problem solving across this network. You inspired it. And the future of human services—the future of democracy’s infrastructure—will be built by you. I am grateful to continue standing with you in that work.

What I Learned About Resolve We are in an era defined by

economic volatility, technological acceleration, demographic change, climate instability, polarization, and erosion of trust. In the book, I describe these as pres sures testing democracy’s scaffolding. If that scaffolding is under strain, it is because the work of strengthening it has been chronically underrecognized. Human services leaders operate at the hinge point between national policy and lived experience. You are asked to innovate without stable funding, integrate systems built for fragmentation, communicate clearly amid misinformation, hold compassion and accountability, and stretch dollars while expanding possibility.

Tracy Evans is the Founder and Principal of Cornerstone Solutions.

#APHSASummit2026 aphsa.org/national-summit SUMMIT HUMAN SERVICES NATIONAL

JUNE 4- 2026

ARLINGTON, VA

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Spring 2026 Policy & Practice