Professor Annette Sobocinski, LMSW, JD, started her career working with at-risk children and families impacted by violence, poverty, unemployment, and homelessness at Whaley Children’s Center in Flint, Michigan. While she initially worked as a therapist, she later took on several different management positions, culminating in the position of chief operating officer. She then left Whaley to attend law school with the goal of broadening her impact through advocacy and policy work on behalf of young children and families. While in law school, she published an article focused on mandatory reporting legislation in the Michigan Child Welfare Law Journal.

Following law school, she initially did some research and consulting work regarding early childhood funding streams and associated policies. She then worked within Michigan’s Great Start system on behalf of the Great Start Collaborative and Parent Coalition in Genesee County. There she gained much experience working to support early childhood systems collaborating for the best interest of young children and families. Professor Sobocinski currently works as the executive director at Child Care Network, a nonprofit organization serving eight counties in southeastern Michigan. In this role, she works to improve access to high quality early care and education experiences for all children, and advocates for changes to the system that will benefit children and families. She regularly presents in the community on topics focused on the child care system.

Related Information

Education

  • University of Michigan, BA
  • University of Michigan, MSW
  • Thomas M. Cooley Law School, JD, magna cum laude