Kerrie earned a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Kansas, a Master of Social Work from Washburn University, and is a graduate of Washburn University School of Law. 

Kerrie Lonard, Child Advocate, began with the Division of the Child Advocate in December 2021.  She was confirmed as the Child Advocate for the Office of the Child Advocate in February 2025.  Previously Kerrie spent 14 years with Kansas Legal Services, with a focus on poverty law issues, serving as both Staff Attorney and Managing Attorney.  Kerrie supervised staff in providing legal assistance in areas of housing, consumer, public benefits, and child and family law matters.  Kerrie has represented children and youth as Guardian ad Litem (GAL), as well as parents, and interested parties in child-in-need-of-care proceedings.  Prior to earning a law degree, Kerrie worked as a school social worker for five years, and other foster care and child advocate roles, including as a CASA volunteer.

Kerrie has served on the Kansas Supreme Court Taskforce on Permanency Planning as a GAL, as panel member and former Chair for the CAPTA Citizen Review Panel: Intake to Petition/CJA Taskforce, and as the National Association of Counsel for Children State Coordinator for Kansas.

 

Sarah has served for over a decade in the Early Childhood Education Field.  As a Childcare Coordinator focusing on growth and training in the areas of Trauma Informed Care and Positive Behavior Supports, Sarah has connected with a passion in helping children to be healthy, happy, and cared for. 

Sarah holds a bachelor’s degree in Speech Language & Hearing from the University of Kansas.  

Brook brings nearly two decades of experience in child welfare work to the office.  She has most recently worked with one of the state’s foster care contractors serving families providing foster care.  During her time with the contractor, she provided supervision to staff, developed training for foster parents, and aided numerous families as they navigated the fostering, reunification, and adoption journey.  Previously Brook worked for the Department for Children and Families, completing Family-Based assessments, referring families to services, and assessing allegations of abuse and neglect.  

Brook earned a Bachelor of Social Work from Washburn University and a Master of Social work from Park University. She holds a professional license as a Master Social Worker (LMSW) in Kansas.  

 

Matt has a passion for helping people thrive and believes in the power of government to serve its citizens. He spent 16 years helping federal contractor employers understand their additional non-discrimination obligations, helping make workplaces more fair and equitable for everyone regardless of their sex, race, disability, or veteran status. He also believes in the power of data and was once a computer programmer and database developer. Matt is excited to bring his particular skills and insights to the Office of the Child Advocate.

Matt is a proud Ram, earning his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science at Fordham University and finishing with a law degree from Fordham Law.

 

Jaydeen brings over ten years of diverse experience in the human services field, having served in numerous capacities across legal, social, and advocacy roles.  She served as a Legal Aide Assistant providing support in client services.  She later served as a Veterans Advocate with a private Veteran Claims Firm, assisting veterans in navigating the claims process.  Previously, Jaydeen worked with North Carolina Department of Social Services as Foster Care Permanency Social Worker, where she assessed children and families to ensure safe, stable, and permanent placements for youth in care.

Jaydeen holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a concentration of legal studies, as well as a Master of Science in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Intelligence Studies, both from Monroe College in New York.