Jazmine Kirkland serves as our Data Quality Analyst. Jazmine has a Master’s Degree in Applied Social Research and previously worked with her local health department and the Centers for Disease Control on data analysis related to the COVID-19 pandemic. While there, she also contributed to scholarship about the surge of drug overdoses during the pandemic and child orphanage increases during the pandemic. Her previous areas of research include the impact of perceived racism, chronic stress, and allostatic load in the African American community; innovative methods to improve the quality of life for older adults; and strained child-caregiver relationships.
Years in nonprofit – One year of professional work, in addition to internships.
Why you wanted to be in this field:
My motivation to be in this field is to see a sustainable impact in the lives of children. I want to contribute and refine a model that has a significant impact and leads to positive outcomes.
What is your role at WMPC? What are your responsibilities in this role?
My role with WMPC is the Data Quality Analyst with the PQI team. I am responsible for extracting data from various sources to conduct analyses for reporting, auditing, and program evaluation. I also assist with the development and implementation of data strategies, plans, and tools for monitoring and continuous quality improvement of WMPC.
What do you anticipate being the most rewarding part about your job?
I anticipate discovering various findings to report both internally and externally to help build an innovative model.
What is one thing you wish people knew about foster care?
Part of the reason I would like to contribute to data quality and reporting in foster care is to highlight the experiences of children, especially the disproportionate outcomes of minority children. I wish people knew about the disparities in foster care.
How has your experience in the nonprofit sector changed your perspective?
My internship experiences changed my perspective from looking to develop new programs to wanting to further develop sustainability in existing programs, and conducting program evaluation regularly.
What is your hope for WMPC and the Kent County foster care system?
My hope is WMPC creates a sustainable model that can be duplicated in various areas.