Victor Sims

For 11 years, prior to being adopted, Victor Sims grew up in Florida’s foster care system. He lived in 18 different homes and attended 13 different schools, without the stability of a permanent home and supportive family.

From this personal situation, Victor developed his vision for a strong focus on family reunification, sharing his experiences to ensure that children have the best possible opportunity to live in a safe, loving environment.

Realizing that the hierarchy of needs for children in foster care started with a sense of psychological safety, Victor set his focus on reimagining what it meant to find families for children, creating and serving multiple agencies in Florida. He helped SailFuture pilot an innovative case management program for 54 teenagers who were sleeping in offices by building partnerships and capacity for foster care through recruitment of kinship families. He also served in an advisory board capacity at the Administration for Children and Families under two U.S. presidents, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, serving on the National Foster Youth and Alumni Policy Council and providing policy recommendations around Preventing Unnecessary Entry into Foster Care, Social Capital, as well as Crossover to Juvenile Justice

Victor was recognized in June 2019 by the American Bar Association as a Reunification Hero and as a 2020 Casey Excellence for Children Award as an Alumni in care, and by the Treehouse Foundation as part of their Re-Envisioning Foster Care in America Champion.

Victor’s FIU MBA gave him the analytical and business skills that he feels are critical for effective leadership in the social services field. At 26, he hopes to transition to an advisory role, working as a consultantand widening his ability to change lives.