For over twenty years, La-Mine Perkins, MSW, has worked to support, engage, and build power with directly impacted communities and individuals working directly with them. From working to allow youth in foster care to have greater self-determination as they move into adulthood to working to remove barriers that stand in the way of children's health, she has worked to advance equitable policies for kids. Her passion for children and families comes from a desire to ensure families have the support that would have benefited her community many years ago. Growing up, her family was directly impacted by many of the systems she has since spent her life working to disrupt and reform.

Her experience includes leading a team responsible for engaging impacted communities and community-based organizations in advocating for policies to advance child well-being. La-Mine has worked with parents, youth, and communities to build power and co-create strategic organizing tactics to help secure policy wins for kids. This includes developing programs and strategies to build the capacity of advocates and support local communities in advancing policy change at a local level. The use of grassroots organizing, ethical storytelling, legislative meetings, and qualitative data have been among her most frequently used tactics.

She believes that the most equitable solutions to the challenges we face can only be found by working in community with those experiencing them. During her career, she has worked with service providers to better understand their training needs, and develop process improvements. While training medical staff, case workers, and state government employees, she worked to increase the use of strength-based approaches to build on the strengths that exist within communities.

La-Mine received her Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work from North Carolina State University.  Of all the roles she has held, the one she is most proud of is her role as a “Mom.”  La-Mine is the proud parent of four children and a very sweet puppy, Jasmine.