Hope was more than a theme at the 2026 Building Hope for Children Conference. It was a call to action.
Close to 700 professionals, advocates, policymakers and community leaders gathered in Columbia on Aug. 19-20 for the biennial conference, centered on the theme “Promise of Hope. Power of Prevention.” Over two days, speakers and participants explored how hope, prevention, relationships and collaboration can strengthen the systems that support children and families.
A preconference gathering for Children’s Trust of South Carolina-funded partners was held on Aug. 18, giving participants an opportunity to explore adverse childhood experiences, resilience and protective factors while building connections ahead of the conference.
Building a Hope Toolbox
The conference opened Aug. 19 with Kaysie X. Coley, MSW, founder and principal of KOAT Consulting LLC, who presented “The Hope Toolbox: A DIY Guide to Leading Through Uncertainty.”
Drawing on more than a decade of social work and child welfare experience, Coley used building, sewing and renovation as metaphors for leading through uncertainty. She encouraged participants to identify the tools they need to sustain hope, strengthen relationships and lead effectively during challenging times.
Coley emphasized that hope is not necessarily found in a single transformational moment but can be developed through everyday life.
“Hope has to become something we practice,” she said.
From Prevention to Policy
The Wednesday lunch plenary featured Alex J. Adams, Pharm.D., MPH, assistant secretary for family support at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. His presentation, “A Home for Every Child: A Roadmap to Improving the Child Welfare Nationwide,” focused on the federal Administration for Children and Families’ A Home for Every Child initiative.
Adams discussed efforts to increase the availability of foster homes, reduce barriers for states and families, and strengthen child welfare systems. He also addressed prevention, kinship care and foster care, including the importance of retaining foster families as well as recruiting new families.
The session connected national child welfare efforts with the conference’s broader focus on prevention and strengthening systems of care.
Learning From Experts and Peers
The conference’s breakout sessions gave participants opportunities to explore practical strategies, share experiences and learn from partners working across the child- and family-serving field.
Sessions covered trauma-informed systems, sustainable partnerships between child welfare and home visiting, family reunification and recovery, building resilient responders, Family Resource Centers, leadership and the importance of supporting the professionals who do this work every day.
The range of perspectives reflected the many partners involved in prevention. One example came from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, which brought its officer wellness and resiliency work to the conference, along with K9 CJ, a four-legged member of the department who added a memorable reminder that connection and support can take many forms.
Other sessions examined the impact of child abuse and neglect on children’s relationships, turning strategy into practice, navigating leadership and change, building sustainable Family Resource Centers and connecting families with community resources.
Between sessions, coffee and exhibitor breaks created opportunities for attendees to exchange ideas, discover resources and build relationships across organizations and disciplines.
Together, the sessions reinforced a central message of the conference: prevention is strengthened when professionals, families and community partners bring their knowledge, relationships and resources together on behalf of children and families.
A Champion for Children
Children’s Trust presented state Sen. Mike Reichenbach with the 2026 Champion for Children Award in recognition of his leadership as chair of the South Carolina Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children and his work related to foster care, kinship care and child safety.
During the award presentation, Reichenbach shared his personal experience with adoption and connected that experience to his commitment to children and families.
He also emphasized the importance of listening to families.
“Family matters. We need to listen more than we need to talk,” he said.
Leadership Lessons From “Bad” Kids
Thursday’s lunch plenary featured Stu Perry, LCSW, ASDCS, a child therapist, author and speaker. His presentation, “Good Leadership Lessons From ‘Bad’ Kids: Insights From a Child Therapist on Leading Well Under Pressure,” examined what adults can learn from children whose behavior has led others to give up on them.
Perry encouraged participants to look beyond labels and focus on relationships, trust and behavior. He also emphasized that leadership is not limited to people with formal titles. Anyone who supports children and families is in a position to lead.
“A bad system will beat a good person every single time,” Perry said. “Good leaders don’t default to blaming people. They build systems that help people succeed.”
His presentation highlighted the role of relationships in helping children and adults navigate difficult circumstances.
Turning Hope Into Practice
Thursday’s breakout sessions continued the focus on practical strategies for supporting children and families.
Participants explored trauma-informed approaches for multidisciplinary teams, partnerships between child welfare and home visiting, support for parents returning from incarceration or recovery, family resource centers, family support navigation and programs designed with families.
The sessions focused on moving from ideas to action and helping families access support before challenges become crises.
The Strategic Power of Hope
The conference concluded with Chan Hellman, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Oklahoma and director of the Hope Research Center. His closing keynote, “The Strategic Power of Hope,” examined hope as a measurable and teachable framework for strengthening child and family well-being, supporting prevention and improving systems of care.
Drawing on more than two decades of research, Hellman discussed how hope can help children, youth and families identify meaningful goals, develop pathways through adversity and sustain the motivation to move forward.
He also distinguished hope from simply wishing for a different future, emphasizing that hope involves identifying goals and pathways to reach them.
“Because hope is a cognitive process, we can teach it, nurture it and practice it,” Hellman said.
Carrying the Momentum Forward
From adverse childhood experiences and resilience to prevention, leadership, family voice and the science of hope, the 2026 Building Hope for Children Conference highlighted the importance of strong relationships and supportive systems.
Across two days, speakers and participants explored how hope can be developed and put into practice as communities work to prevent child abuse and neglect and create conditions in which children and families can thrive.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Children’s Trust extends its sincere thanks to Foster America, Palmetto Citizens Foundation, Publix Charities, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Founders Federal Credit Union, Prisma Health, Patrick Family Foundation, First Choice, Select Health of South Carolina, TD Bank, South Carolina Commission for Community Advancement and Engagement, McLeod Health, ABS Kids and Omni Family Institute for their support of the 2026 Building Hope for Children Conference.
Their partnership helped bring together professionals, advocates and community leaders to learn, connect and strengthen the work of supporting children and families across South Carolina.
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