The Board of Directors and the staff of MDRC mourn the passing and honor the memory of Barbara B. Blum, former President of MDRC. She died on October 6. Barbara’s entire career was a testament to her personal mission to improve the lives of the most vulnerable people in society, especially children.

Barbara served as President of MDRC from 1982 to 1986, a period of transformation for the organization as the federal government reduced its investment in the type of research demonstration projects that MDRC was known for. Building on her long-time relationships with state human services agencies, she worked with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as it used its authority to grant waivers for states to innovate under the federal welfare program, Aid to Families with Dependent Children — opening up opportunities for MDRC to evaluate state welfare-to-work initiatives. She was also President of the American Public Welfare Association (now the American Public Human Services Association) in 1985 and 1986.

Barbara had a long and distinguished career in both the government and nonprofit sectors. As commissioner of the New York State Department of Social Services from 1977-1982, she directed the public assistance, Medicaid, and social services programs. During her tenure, she was responsible for the development of community work experience programs, the creation of alternative services to prevent nursing home care, and the implementation of the first large-scale management information systems for welfare, Medicaid, and social services. She directed the implementation of the New York State Child Welfare Reform Act of 1979, which mandated systemic shifts away from foster care placement and toward the provision of family support services. Her appointment as commissioner followed more than a decade of service to New York State in the areas of mental health, mental retardation, and social services, including helping to implement the Willowbrook Consent Decree, which led to the deinstitutionalization of thousands of children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

After leaving MDRC, Barbara served as President of the Foundation for Child Development from 1986-1996. From 1997-2005, she directed the National Center for Children in Poverty’s Research Forum on Children, Families, and the New Federalism. She remained a senior advisor for NCCP until her death.

Barbara is survived by her husband Robert M. Blum and their four children.