Supervising for Excellence and Success (Part 1)

Quality supervision is recognized as a significant factor in an organization’s overall ability to provide resources that achieve operational goals and desired outcomes for children, youth, and families. Supervision is also an important factor associated with creating a positive work environment, maintaining staff retention, and promoting professional development. CWLA’s revised edition of Supervising for Excellence and Success focuses on the essential practice elements and functions that are foundational to successful supervision. This two-part training will share an overview of the essential practice elements and functions of supervision – Leading, Planning, Organizing, Teaching, Supporting, and Evaluating – framed through discussion, self-reflection, and group exercises. These components are critical to supporting professional engagement, partnership, and team building in supervision and will be highlighted along with research and best practices. Discussion will also touch on supporting theoretical concepts related to the supervisory role and related skills and competencies.

Facilitator: Dr. Jorge Velázquez, Eastern Florida State College

Assessing Our Capacity for Family Support and Prevention Programming

There are a myriad of unique challenges and opportunities related to the development of family support and primary prevention programming for non-profit child welfare agencies. Driven largely by the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018, jurisdictions have been exploring a variety of approaches that prioritize more accessible, non-stigmatizing, and common-sense approaches to service delivery. There is a renewed emphasis on family engagement and involvement as agencies are being encouraged to collaborate with a wider range of community partners. The session will focus on The 7 P’s Exercise, developed by CWLA Senior Fellow, Paul DiLorenzo, during his thirty odd years plus of planning, developing, implementing, and managing community and neighborhood-based family support programming. Participants can use the framework to organize their agency redesign journey. Though not meant to be an all-inclusive process, The 7 P’s Exercise will help an agency team create a “To Do” list for transformation, and at the same time, highlight existing strengths and opportunities that a provider might not have considered in their desire to become more primary prevention oriented. We recommend registering as a team to participate in this session.

Facilitator: Paul DiLorenzo, CWLA Senior Fellow

Allyship: Understanding Race Relationships and Ways to Mitigate Social Inequities

Effective allyship is characterized as exploring the complexities of race relations and the role of privilege in maintaining societal inequities. In this training, participants will examine the historical impact of slavery and its enduring influence on race dynamics in the United States, with a particular focus on white privilege and how it shapes both societal structures and personal interactions. The session will provide tools for recognizing and addressing the trust issues that people of color may have with white individuals and institutions, helping participants see ways to build authentic relationships grounded in empathy and respect. Through reflective exercises, participants will also explore the distinction between intent and impact, ensuring their actions contribute positively to racial equity. Practical strategies for effective allyship will be emphasized, including continuous education, meaningful self-reflection, and action-oriented advocacy that prioritizes the voices and experiences of marginalized communities.

Facilitator: Deborah Wilson Gadsden, CWLA Director of Inclusion & Belonging

Traditions of Caring and Collaborating Kinship Model of Practice (Part 1)

CWLA’s evidence-informed model of practice, Traditions of Caring and Collaborating addresses the unique strengths and needs of kinship caregivers, formally involved through child protective services or through informal family arrangements. This model of practice has guiding principles grounded in a caring and collaborating approach to protect and nurture children and strengthen families. The model is responsive to the needs and experiences of kinship caregivers recognizing the dynamics unique to the inherited role of being someone’s grandparent, other relative, or a non-related extended family member and the acquired role of volunteering to foster. This two-part training opportunity provides an overview for identifying areas of concern for kinship families and agency staff who work with them including: legal, financial, family relationships, health and mental health, child behavior, fair and equal treatment, satisfaction and recommendations. It will highlight the competencies needed to support kinship caregivers through phases of collaboration aimed at achieving the three federally mandated outcomes for all children: safety, well-being, and permanence.

Facilitator: Marcus Stallworth, CWLA Director of Training & Implementation

Exhibit Booths sold out!

CWLA’s Conference is a valuable opportunity to strengthen your brand awareness while connecting with leaders in the child- and family-serving sector. Our exhibit hall, and the events held there, offer you the chance to share your organization’s unique value proposition with hundreds of CEOs, administrators, workers, researchers, advocates, and caregivers.

Exhibited with CWLA before? Our annual conference allows you to deepen relationships with existing clients, and feature products and services they may not have realized you offer. Exhibiting affords you the chance to gain crucial insights into the needs of the population you serve, by connecting directly with current and potential clients, or popping into the occasional conference workshop to hear about the hot topics affecting the field.

Past exhibitors who have experienced success at our conference include software companies, publishers, insurance brokers, banks, trainers, accreditors, member and non-member agencies, and other organizations with a message for child- and family-serving professionals.

Interested in sponsoring the overall conference? Check out our Sponsor Deck.

Premium Exhibit Fees (high-traffic space)

• $1,715 for Non-Member organizations
• $1,575 for Member organizations

General Exhibit Fees

• $1,500 for Non-Member organizations
• $1,345 for Member organizations

Exhibit booths include:

• • 8′ x 10′ space with standard booth drapery
  • 6′ x 2′ draped table
  • 2 side chairs
  • A complimentary registration for one exhibit staffer with access to all conference sessions, workshops, and meals
    One additional exhibit staffer can be registered at a special rate of $480
  • A 7″ x 44″ booth identification sign
  • Registrant mailing list for pre-conference marketing (one-time use)
  • Post-conference attendee email list for follow-up outreach (one-time use)
  • Dedicated exhibit hall times and functions
  • A 30% discount on conference program advertising
  • Optional add-on: program ads

Interested in promoting your products and services in the conference program? Explore our Advertising Opportunities (on 2nd tab of this section) to maximize your brand exposure!

Exhibit Hall Dates & Times (subject to change without notice)

• Set up: Wednesday, April 9, 2025, 3:00 pm – 5:45 pm
• Dismantle: Thursday, April 10, 2025, after 7:00 pm
• Exhibiting Dates & Times: Wednesday, April 9, 2025, 5:45 pm – Thursday, April 10, 2025, 7:00 pm

Registration and Payment:

• Registering means you agree with the Terms and Conditions
• Payment in full is due with registration.

Questions? Get in touch with us at CWLA2025@cwla.org