Public Knowledge® greatly values any opportunity to explore new ways to support children, families, and communities with like-minded organizations. National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) Conference being a virtual experience didn’t impact our ability to engage in stimulating conversation and sharing ideas.

Thriving Children and Families: Prevention with Purpose

This year’s theme, Thriving Children and Families: Prevention with Purpose, at the NCCAN Conference, was something that closely aligns with our mission here at Public Knowledge®. Each day of the conference had an overarching theme to guide discussions. Here is a glimpse of what was covered.

Day One: Addressing Race and Bias

Moving from Discussion to Action: Addressing Racism and Bias in Child Welfare

This session was centered around exploring the impact of racism and bias within the contact of child welfare. More specifically, identifying and addressing implicit and explicit bias, researching the causes of disparities within the child welfare system, and how systems can better recognize and responds to historical trauma.

• Rita Cameron Wedding, Professor of Women’s Studies and Ethnic Studies at Sacramento State University, California
• Alan-Michael S. Graves, Senior Director of Teaching and Capacity Building, Good+Foundation
• Maegan Rides At The Door, Director of the National Native Children’s Trauma Center
• Alan J. Dettlaff, Dean of the Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston

Day Two: Focusing on Poverty

Disentangling the Connections between Racism, Poverty, and Child Welfare

This session featured researchers discussing their findings of how poverty drives child welfare involvement and how income transfers and the delivery of concrete supports impacts child welfare rates.

• Darcey H. Merritt, Associate Professor, Silver School of Social Work, Co-Editor-in-Chief, Children and Youth Services Review
• Lawrence Berger, Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research in the Social Sciences, School of Social Work and Institute for Research on Poverty, University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Nicole Kovski, Ph.D. Candidate, Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, University of Washington
• Maddy Langan, Young Adult Consultant, Capacity Building Center for States

Day Three: Committing to Transformation

Authentic Integration of Lived Experience to Improve Equity in Child Welfare

This panel of team members from Capacity Building Center for States shared on opportunities to advance race equality and reshape foster care.

• Tony Parsons, Young Adult Consultant, Capacity Building Center for States
• Maddy Langan, Young Adult Consultant, Capacity Building Center for States
• Jasmine Snell, Young Adult Consultant, Capacity Building Center for States
• Arlene Jones, Family Consultant, Capacity Building Center for States
• Angela Braxton, Family Consultant, Capacity Building Center for States
• Athena Garcia-Gunn, Young Adult Consultant Coordinator, Capacity Building Center for States

Sharing Our Knowledge Through Innovative eLearning

Not only do we like to learn new things, but share them, too! Our eLearning courses are made specifically created for child support professionals by experts in the industry. The courses we have available are a highly engaging experience that serves as a valuable professional development tool for your organization.

Unintended Bias & Cultural Competence by PK

This course is a part of our five-module Effective Child Support Customer Service Training Series but can also be taken on its own. Through interactive, real-life scenarios, it introduces child support professionals to the principle of unintended bias and exploring its meaning.

Schedule a Demo with Us Today

Learn more about the eLearning courses we have available or to discuss a problem you need solving, get in touch with Public Knowledge® today.