José A. Perez, MPS (he/him), is the project manager at Children’s Defense Fund-NY. With personal experience in child welfare and youth justice systems, he advocates for housing, economic mobility, and self-determination for system-involved youth. At CDF-NY, he leads an intergenerational group of youth organizers, managing direct cash payments to 100 young adults who aged out of foster care in NYC. José is a recognized subject matter expert, speaking at venues like the New York State Capitol, Howard University, and the White House. He also serves on the NYC District Attorney’s Reentry Council Board and is active as a spoken word artist and actor.