Christina Simmons is a Parent Leader for Safe Babies, a program of ZERO TO THREE.
Christina Simmons is a devoted mother of five children, ages two to 19. Her family’s journey through the child welfare system began with parenting challenges that resulted in her children entering foster care. Through resilience and determination, Christina completed her case plan and reunified with her children after six months of separation.
Christina transformed her personal experience into powerful advocacy. She founded Mississippi’s first Parent Partner Advocacy Program and played a key role in launching the state’s first parent partner component within the Mississippi Interdisciplinary Parent Representation Team—an innovative model that now includes a parent partner, attorney, and social worker.
At the local and state levels, Christina serves on the boards of the Harrison County and Hancock County Youth Courts and is a member of Mississippi’s Commission on Children’s Justice. Nationally, she contributes her firsthand expertise to the Child Welfare and Racial Equity (CWARE) Collaborative, working to reimagine child welfare through a family-centered lens. She is also a member of the Birth Parent National Network and the Birth and Foster Parent Partnership through the Children’s Trust Fund Alliance.
Christina is licensed as a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant with focused training in child psychology and family medicine. Her passion for healing and supporting families is evident both in her career and her advocacy.
Christina believes deeply in the irreplaceable value of the family unit. She says, “To make a lasting change in the system of child welfare, we must be the change. No matter what, children need the voices of their mothers and fathers. That should push us all to be better humans, so we will see a brighter future in the generations that come after us.”
