About Us
Our History
ALL IN Fostering Futures was founded in 2021 by Lynn Johnson
Former Assistant Secretary Lynn Johnson created the ALL IN for Foster Adoption Challenge as a national call for partners in every state, including governors, agencies, courts, churches, community organizations, foster alumni, and the public, to commit to being ALL IN for finding “Forever Families” for the 117,000 waiting children in the foster care system. Lynn believes these are America’s children and with a combined strategy of primary prevention on the front end when families are struggling and need intervention, as well as communities wrapping around those who step up to adopt waiting youth, the 117,000 could rapidly be reduced to zero if everyone would focus on that number.
Lynn founded ALL IN Fostering Futures (AIFF) to continue her efforts in finding permanent, loving, and stable homes for children and youth in foster care. Her priority is to also establish a community and support system for alumni who were once in care.
Prior to her role at the Assistant Secretary with the US Department of Health and Human Services- Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Lynn served as the Executive Director of Jefferson County Department of Human Services in Colorado, beginning in 2007. She has won numerous awards for excellence in successful transformations of Human Services and customer service from local entities such as Signal Behavioral Health Network to the Francis T. Ishida Award for Excellence from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Our Mission
Our mission is to build and mobilize a community to support ALL foster alumni on an actionable path to success.
We aim to build a community of foster care alumni, youth, and trusted advisors to change the world and improve the life outcomes of those transitioning out of foster care. We aim to mobilize our community to help those who have been in foster care to access opportunities such as food, shelter, education, and employment and to amplify their voices to improve the foster care system.
Our Purpose
ALL IN Fostering Futures (AIFF) is a non-profit resource and connector to child welfare and faith communities. AIFF is used to advance foster alumni engagement and give a voice to those with lived experience. We partner with non-profit organizations, faith communities, business, and government to equip these individuals with the tools to be successful. AIFF impacts foster alumni by preventing poverty, addiction, hunger, exploitation and incarceration. For many of these individuals by virtue of entering the system, they have experienced obstacles and challenges that often last a lifetime. AIFF strives to nourish healthy relationships that lead to mentorship and chosen families.
Our Values
Belonging
Trust
Intention
Faith
Our Board
Prior to working in golf course maintenance, Lance umpired professional baseball in the minor leagues for three years. Lance is a member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association (RMGCSA) and the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA). He is past President of both the Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association and the RMGCSA non-profit organization, Rocky Mountain Environmental Golf Institute. Lance also chaired the state-wide committee that created the Colorado Golf Industry Best Management Practices Guide for Golf Courses that was published in 2019.
Lance serves on the Board of ALL IN Fostering Futures (AIFF). He helped plan, implement, and participated in the first two inaugural AIFF retreats, a Co-Ed retreat held in Lakewood, CO in August of 2021 and the recent Men’s Retreat held at Spring Valley Ranch in Eucha, OK in May of 2022.
Alex spent two and a half years in the foster care system before being adopted by the Oleson’s in Lenexa, Kansas as the sixth of seven former foster youth adopted by them. He also grew up in their home with thirty other foster youth, many of whom were adopted or reunified with their biological parents.
Because of Alex’s positive adoption experience, he is a proponent of supporting strong and stable adoptions. He acknowledges and works to improve the issues of dissolved adoptions, racial and age inequalities in the foster care system, and the need for more male mentors for former and current foster youth.
In 2019, Alex was an intern with US Senator Roy Blunt in Washington, DC. He worked as a foster youth intern through the Congressional Coalition and Adoption Institute. Alex has been a spokesperson for Adopt US Kids, a member of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), on the Support, Opportunity, Unity, and Legal (SOUL) team in Kansas, and currently serves as a board member for ALL IN Fostering Futures, Inc. (AIFF).
Alex is an assistant program officer of economic development at the Local Initiative Support Corporation. He hosts the podcast Spokesfolks and has a bachelor’s degree in political science from St. Louis University. He is a candidate for the Master of Public Administration (MPA) at the University of Texas in Arlington.
In addition to his service on the board of ALL IN Fostering Futures, Inc. Brad is the current chair of the Dallas Bar Foundation, which awards law school scholarships to minority students in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and he serves on the board of the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation, which awards college scholarships to high-achieving students from low-income families in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.
graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education. Since graduating, Ashley has lived all over the USA, spending time in California, New Hampshire, Washington, and most recently Minnesota. She moved back to Colorado in 2023 with her husband and two children.
Ashley is the Director of Preschool at Cherry Hills Christian School and has always had a passion for education and children ministry programs. Outside of work, Ashley loves spending quality time with her family, whether cheering on her kids in their activities, playing games, or snuggling them for a movie night. She also enjoys spending time in nature, with her favorite activities being hiking, paddleboarding, boating, gardening, and enjoying a sunset.
Exuding to her solid and compassionate leadership style, Lynn has held many positions in the child welfare system and, most recently, served as the assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families in the US Department of Health and Human Services in a Senate-confirmed appointment. She led an agency with a $60 billion budget and over sixty programs designed to improve the lives of the most vulnerable children, individuals, and families.
Under this appointment, she created the ALL IN for Foster Care and Adoption Challenge — a national call for partners in every state, including governors, agencies, courts, churches, community organizations, foster alumni, and the public, to commit to being ALL IN for finding “forever families” for the 122,000 children per year awaiting homes. These children are at imminent risk of ending up in other systems like juvenile justice, homelessness, or human trafficking. Lynn believes that these are “America’s children.” With a combined strategy of primary prevention on the front-end, when families need intervention and wrapping around those who step up to adopt youth waiting for homes, the 122,000 children would be rapidly reduced. Lynn knows we all have a role to play and is making connections for success for vulnerable families and children.
As the executive director of Jefferson County, Colorado, Department of Human Services, she provided dignity and respect for our most vulnerable community members to end poverty, eliminate abuse and neglect, and stop the trafficking of children. Lynn served as chief of staff for former Colorado Lieutenant Governor Jane E. Norton. She was also deputy director for policy and human services policy advisor for former Colorado Governor Bill Owens. With her expertise in child welfare, welfare reform, and criminal justice, she has been appointed to numerous committees and won multiple awards for excellence in human services transformations and customer service.
Lynn has been married for thirty-seven years and has three adult children.
Our Staff
Exuding to her solid and compassionate leadership style, Lynn has held many positions in the child welfare system and, most recently, served as the assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families in the US Department of Health and Human Services in a Senate-confirmed appointment. She led an agency with a $60 billion budget and over sixty programs designed to improve the lives of the most vulnerable children, individuals, and families.
Under this appointment, she created the ALL IN for Foster Care and Adoption Challenge — a national call for partners in every state, including governors, agencies, courts, churches, community organizations, foster alumni, and the public, to commit to being ALL IN for finding “forever families” for the 122,000 children per year awaiting homes. These children are at imminent risk of ending up in other systems like juvenile justice, homelessness, or human trafficking. Lynn believes that these are “America’s children.” With a combined strategy of primary prevention on the front-end, when families need intervention and wrapping around those who step up to adopt youth waiting for homes, the 122,000 children would be rapidly reduced. Lynn knows we all have a role to play and is making connections for success for vulnerable families and children.
As the executive director of Jefferson County, Colorado, Department of Human Services, she provided dignity and respect for our most vulnerable community members to end poverty, eliminate abuse and neglect, and stop the trafficking of children. Lynn served as chief of staff for former Colorado Lieutenant Governor Jane E. Norton. She was also deputy director for policy and human services policy advisor for former Colorado Governor Bill Owens. With her expertise in child welfare, welfare reform, and criminal justice, she has been appointed to numerous committees and won multiple awards for excellence in human services transformations and customer service.
Lynn has been married for thirty-seven years and has three adult children.
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“I have been passionate about vulnerable children and their families all of my life. I truly believe in the dignity and respect of others no matter what the situation they are in or have encountered. I am excited to see the impact that ALL IN Fostering Futures will bring as we pray for the courage and ways we can stand up and speak up to serve those most at risk.”
Lynn JohnsonPresident and Founder