The Building Hope for Children Conference, which takes place March 23-25 in a virtual setting, will provide a unique experience for anyone interested in the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
This conference will focus on equity, the protective factors and statewide collaboration over the three days. Conference attendees will be inspired to think differently about their work through dynamic breakout sessions, local and national keynote speakers, and networking opportunities with peers from around the state.
The goal is to gather those in the field to share knowledge, make connections and leave with actionable takeaways to support child and family well-being. The conference, with its theme of “A New Way Forward: Thriving Families and Communities,” will offer three specific tracks of sessions for attendees.
- Child-serving professionals who support families directly
- Early childhood home visitors
- Advocates and leaders who are working to connect prevention efforts across the state
Those interested in attending the conference should read what some of the keynote speakers and presenters at the 2019 Building Hope for Children Conference, which was held in Greenville, had to say about their experiences and the value of our biennial event.
Michael Leach, S.C. Department of Social Services State Director
“This conference is so valuable. It brings together faith organizations, government, nonprofits, advocacy groups. We all have the same goal, and we have to understand each other, what we can do, what we can’t do. Listening to the presenters, being at the tables with other folks with different views, and having those conversations is huge. We want strength and resilient families, and this is a way of doing that.”
Judge Glenda Hatchett, The Hatchett Firm, Atlanta
“This is how change happens, this is how transformational change happens, with these kinds of collaborative efforts. Otherwise, people are just in their own places. Think about how the energy and the synergy of people coming together really propels us forward.”
Edward Anderson, Children’s Trust board member, United Way of Greenville County
“These conversations are critical because that’s where we learn about the innovative practices that one organization or one sector may be doing that we can adopt or utilize. It also offers opportunities for us to find out where we can grow and where we can learn and where we can extend ourselves.”
Robert Sege, Pediatrician and Professor of Medicine at Tufts University
“There’s new information out there all the time, and being up to date on what people are thinking, about what programs are going on, is the thing that I love the most. In a meeting like this, you’ll have law enforcement, you’ll have a faith community member, you’ll have faith leaders, you’ll have doctors, school teachers, principals, government officials, all meeting together, and there’s nothing like that. Being with people who are also interested in children and care about that, but have a different kind of job, is incredibly important, and I always learn a ton listening to people who do things that I don’t do.”
Rev. Darrell Armstrong, Shiloh Baptist Church, N.J.
“I believe it is an extraordinary value to come together in these types of conferences. We need to encourage each other because alone we can’t do this; in solitary confinement, we can’t do this. But together, feeding off each other, supporting each other, undergirding each other, we can really turn the tide. I leave inspired every time I speak, but also every time I’m around the folks who are on the ground doing this work, it makes a difference.”
Emada Tingirides, Captain, Los Angeles Police Department
“Conferences like this are so important in getting clinicians, social workers, and teachers to hear from law enforcement, how important they are and how big of a resource they are to us. The work that they do, and I don’t think they realize it, is saving lives. They’re healing people, and a piece of that aids in crime reduction and the prevention of crime. It’s important for law enforcement to come and thank them and allow them to believe that they’re a part of healing the community and building hope in the community.”
Enrique Feldman, Founder, Global Learning Foundation
“It’s about learning from each other, taking our greatest strengths, coming together, and looking at what’s working as opposed to only looking at what’s not working. We go, ‘Oh wow, that’s working for you. I wonder why it’s working. What prompts it? Why is it working?’ So essentially, it’s a huge learning Fest.”
Kassy Alia Ray, Founder, Serve and Connect, Columbia
“We all come to the table with a different why, a different driving force and factor. But if we have that at the forefront of where we’re going and standing together to make that happen, I think we’re all a lot stronger and a lot more hopeful.”
