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Child Welfare League of America's National Conference, Children 2002: Making Children a National Priority, Opens March 6
For more information, contact
Joyce Johnson
Phone: 804/492-4519
Cell: 703/980-7641
E-mail: jjohnson@cwla.org
Featured Speakers Include Nicholas Scoppetta, Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department and Former Commissioner of the New York City Administration for Children's Services, James Garbarino of Cornell University's Family Life Development Center, and CWLA President and CEO Shay Bilchik
February 6, 2002, Washington, DC --
Washington, DC-The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) is pleased to announce it's annual national conference, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC from March 6-8, 2002.
The conference theme, "Making Children a National Priority," reflects the need for child welfare, education, juvenile justice, the judicial system, law enforcement, and other services that impact children to work together to best serve children, youth, and their families. This conference will highlight emerging trends and exemplary programs in child protection, foster care, adoption, and other core services.
Conference highlights include the following.
- Opening Session (March 6 at 8:30 a.m.)-Welcoming Address from CWLA Board of Directors Chair Raymond P. Carpenter and Remarks by CWLA President and CEO Shay Bilchik will be followed by a keynote presentation, "Children in the National Crisis" by Nicholas Scoppetta, Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department and former Commissioner of New York City's Administration for Children's Services. The session concludes with the presentation by CWLA Vice President for Membership Services Shirley Marcus Allen of 10 Freddie Mac David S. Liederman Scholarships to outstanding social workers who plan to pursue MSW degrees.
- Meet the Authors and Exhibit Hall Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony (March 6 at 11:00 a.m.)
- Plenary Session (March 7 at 8:00 a.m.)-"A View from Capitol Hill," a special presentation on CWLA's legislative agenda by CWLA Vice President for Government Affairs, Liz Meitner serves as a prelude to the day's main event, the Hill Visits where conference delegates will meet with their Congressional representatives to present CWLA's legislative agenda for the improvement of prevention and treatment programs for at-risk children and families.
- Dinner, Awards and Entertainment (March 7 at 7:00 p.m.)-Attendees at the conference dinner witness the presentation of the following awards: Congressional Advocate of the Year, Corporate Advocate of the Year, The Natalie Heineman Award for Outstanding Service to Children, and the CWLA Kids to Kids Award.
- Closing Luncheon (March 8 at 12:30 p.m.)-The conference concludes with the closing presentation, "Parents Under Siege: Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good Parents and What Can We Do About It?" by James Garbarino, Ph.D, Co-Director, Family Life Development Center, and Elizabeth Vincent Professor of Human Development, Cornell University. The Anna Quindlen Award for Excellence in Journalism in Behalf of Children and Families will be presented in two categories. The winner in the Print Category is Mareva Brown of the Sacramento Bee, and in the Broadcast Category the winner is Karen Grau of Calamari Productions in Indianapolis, IN.
In October 2000, CWLA unveiled its 10-year Strategic Plan to make children a national priority. Many of the conference plenary and workshop sessions reflect the Research-to-Practice and National Framework components of that plan, and will showcase exemplary programs, policy developments, and cutting-edge practice. Some of the workshops which will highlight CWLA priorities include:
- Working Together to Improve Outcomes for Families Affected by Alcohol and Other Drugs
- Supporting Children with Incarcerated Parents: Building Family Relationships
- Abandoned Infants Assistance: Caring for Border Babies
- From Head Start to High School: A Restorative Approach to Violence Prevention
- Exploring Child Protective Services Intervention in Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment
- Kinship Care: Strengthening the Bonds of the Extended Family and Healing the Effects of Child Abuse and Neglect
- Understanding Homeless and Runaway Youth
- Thunderclouds in the Sky: Creating a Crisis Response Plan
- Facilitating Health Family Interactions Through Therapeutic Family Visitation
- Child Victimization: The Big Picture
- Where is TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) Headed? The 2002 Congressional Debate
- New Opportunities for Addressing Substance Abuse in Juvenile Justice Systems: Integrated Treatment Networks
- Child Welfare Standards and Practice with Immigrant and Refugee Populations; Research Findings
- Effective Parenting: A National Public Policy Priority
- Lifelong Family Connections for Adolescents
To further showcase some of the groups, disciplines, and issues that will have particular salience in 2002, the conference schedule will also feature eight institutes which will incorporate many of the 150 workshops. These Institutes are:
- Agency Accreditation
- Leadership for CEO's, Senior Administrators, and Boards
- Managing in a Time of Crisis
- Alcohol and Other Drugs
- Children and Families Separated by Incarceration
- The Role of Restraints and Seclusion
- Serving Latino Children, Youth, and Families
- Systems Integration Management Institute (SIMI)
In tandem with Children 2002, several major pre- and post-conference events will be held at the same hotel, including:
Sunday - Wednesday, March 3-5
Black Administrators in Child Welfare (BACW)
Annual Conference, "Our Children, Our Legacy: Building on Family Strengths and Developing Community Capacity in Child Welfare." Featured speakers include: Wintley Phipps, President and Founder, U.S. Dream Academy, Reverend Dr. Clifford Barnette, Pastor, Brighton Rock AME Zion Church, Dr. Jaiya John, Speaker and Author, Black Baby White Hands: A View from the Crib, David Hall, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Northeastern University, and U.S. Representative Danny Davis (D-IL).
Wednesday, March 6
National Council of Latino Executives
Symposium, "Helping Latino Families to Make Children a National Priority"
Featured speakers will include: U.S. Representative Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), Layla Suleiman, Assistant Professor, DePaul University, and Maria Quintanilla, Executive Director, Latino Family Institute, Inc.
Established in 1920, CWLA has nearly 1,200 public and voluntary member agencies who provide direct services to abused, neglected, abandoned, and otherwise vulnerable children and their families. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the organization is a leading advocate for quality child welfare services and federal legislation to benefit children and families, trains thousands of social workers and conducts numerous conferences and meetings each year, develops child abuse treatment and prevention strategies, conducts original research, and is the oldest and largest publisher of child welfare materials in North America.
For additional information on the conference, press passes, or specific locations and times for events, contact the CWLA press office at 202/639-4922 or e-mail press@cwla.org.
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