Yvette Santiago

My career has been driven by a singular passion: working with kids, families, and communities. I began 34 years ago as a juvenile probation officer, handling the entire west side of Wilmington as the only bilingual professional serving Latino families. I quickly learned the criminal justice system was fragmented and lacked resources, becoming a revolving door rather than a support system. This launched my mission to help kids before they entered the system. I transitioned to education, working for years to create programs, resources, and policies that helped kids succeed in school and engaged families through parent groups I established, particularly for Latino families. About 21 years ago, I joined Nemours Children's Health when they started a community prevention division. I now serve as Regional Director for Community Engagement and Impact, having held various leadership roles in community and government relations. I advocate for policies that positively improve lives through injury prevention, clinical care, and equitable resource funding. My work involves understanding community needs at the ground level and bringing that knowledge back to inform how we deliver clinical care. Whether I'm in internal strategy meetings, developing my team, serving on multiple boards, or present in the community at events and tours, I maintain constant learning about what's happening locally so I can elevate those insights programmatically and through policy advocacy. Kids, families, and communities remain at the core of everything I do, regardless of whether I'm working in criminal justice, education, or healthcare.