System of Care Policy Intern - Council on Children and Families

About the Role

Council on Children and Families works with state and local organizations in both the public and private sectors to address cross-systems issues and provide recommendations to the Executive Chamber to improve outcomes for all of New York’s children and families.

Agency: Council on Children and Families
Location: 52 Washington Street Rensselaer, New York 12144
Internship Title: System of Care Policy Intern


Intern Responsibilities

The intern will support the Systems of Care Policy Director by

  • Research and Policy Support
    • Conducting research and literature scans on national best practices and equity-informed policies.
    • Monitoring federal, state, and local policy updates affecting children, youth, and families.
    • Preparing short policy briefs, fact sheets, or talking points.
  • Meeting and Workgroup Support
    • Assisting in planning and coordinating cross-systems meetings (scheduling, agendas, materials).
    • Taking detailed meeting notes and synthesizing key themes and follow-up items.
    • Developing plain-language summaries to share with stakeholders.
  • Family and Youth Engagement
    • Supporting the development of surveys, flyers, and materials to engage families and youth.
    • Collecting, organizing, and summarizing feedback from family and youth partners.
    • Helping to highlight family/youth perspectives in reports and presentations.
  • Communications and Dissemination
    • Drafting newsletter articles, website updates, or social media content.
    • Designing infographics, one-pagers, and visual aids to communicate key initiatives.
    • Assisting in documenting and sharing success stories from local and regional collaborations.

Required Skills

  • Interest in public policy, human services, children and families, or related fields.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  • Organizational skills and attention to detail.
  • Ability to work collaboratively and independently.
  • Commitment to equity, inclusion, and supporting diverse populations.

Technology Requirements

  • Comfort with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); familiarity with Canva or similar tools a plus.
  • Basic office equipment (laptop, phone, copier etc.)