As Senior Vice President for External Affairs & Public Policy, Yolanda McBride oversees The Foundling’s governmental affairs portfolio and marketing and communication division. In her role, she develops and leads a wide range of strategies focused on building the profile of The Foundling, including our policy and advocacy agenda, budgetary and legislative priorities, as well as our marketing and communications campaigns.

Yolanda most recently served as the Director of Public Policy at Children’s Aid, where she spearheaded the agency’s policy, legislative, and advocacy strategy and efforts at the city, state, and federal levels. In her role, she also led the development and operations of the Fostering Youth Succes Alliance and was instrumental in formulating the agency’s community engagement goals for their strategic plan. Prior to her work at Children’s Aid, Yolanda spent nearly eight years in city government as a Senior Policy Analyst for the New York City Council and then as a Senior Policy Advisor for the Mayor’s Office. At New York University’s Institute for Education and Social Policy, she conducted and managed local and national longitudinal education research projects and evaluations.

Yolanda received her Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies from Lafayette College and her Master of Public Administration degree from New York University.