A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare

The Kempe Conference

The 2024 International Virtual Conference: A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare is being held October 7-10. This year’s focus is “Connecting Change Makers Around the World Working for Justice and Fairness for Children, Youth and Families.” “This conference is a part of a growing global movement to bring radical and lasting change to the way child welfare systems work. It unites practitioners, policy and law makers, academics, children and young people, families and communities in an agenda for real change” (Kempe Conference). 

Our Center’s Contribution to the Kempe Conference 

Our Center’s research scholar, Dr. Anna Abate, is the lead presenter for two of the presentations at this year’s conference: 

1. “Every Day is Father’s Day”
2. “North Carolina’s Approach to Substance Use in Child Welfare: Utilizing Family Engagement”

Every Day is Father’s Day 

Dr. Abate is working alongside Gregory Jones and Sean Kenny, who both serve on the North Carolina Child Welfare Family Advisory Council to present “Every Day is Father’s Day.” This presentation examines fathers’ multifaceted involvement in child welfare, addressing their roles, importance, and engagement. Despite historical oversight, fathers are crucial for child safety and well-being. Additionally, this session considers data across diverse populations of fathers and societal influences on their involvement.

Attendees will gain insights into the barriers fathers face and discover strategies for effective engagement, highlighting the importance of inclusivity and equity in promoting family stability and resilience. Through examples and expert insights from fathers with real life experience in the child welfare system, this session aims to deepen understanding and foster effective father engagement in child welfare.

North Carolina’s Approach to Substance Use in Child Welfare: Utilizing Family Engagement 

Dr. Abate is leading this presentation with Melissa Russell (North Carolina Child Welfare Family Advisory Council), Kelly Kirk (Peer Support Specialist and Alcohol and Drug Counselor, North Carolina Child Welfare Family Advisory Council), and Heather McAllister (North Carolina Division of Social Services Family First Prevention Services Manager). 

This presentation explores the impact of substance use on families and the child welfare system, highlighting disparities and barriers to accessing services. Historically marginalized individuals face higher rates of child removal due to substance use, linked to various socioeconomic factors. The session will then focus on the Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) program in North Carolina, a child welfare intervention addressing parental substance use disorders. START demonstrates promising results in enhancing permanence and recovery. Through research and expert insights from families with lived experience, this session aims to deepen understanding of substance use in child welfare and highlight one program as a means to promote family stability and resilience.

This event seeks to expand the international community of practice, and approximately 2,000 participants from 25 countries are expected to attend. Furthermore, this conference intends to “motivate, educate and inspire change makers around the world” by “sharing ideas, information, creating lively inclusive debate and making new international connections” (Kempe Conference). 

The five main goals of the conference are: 

1. To build and support a global movement of changemakers striving to bring radical and lasting transformation to child welfare practice, policy, systems and research. 
2. To convene, motivate and inspire child welfare change makers from around the world invested in solutions steeped in social, racial, economic and family justice. 
3. To illuminate the best and most innovative ideas about changing practice, relationships, systems and institutions that attend to social, racial, economic and family justice. 
4. To provide a safe, brave and supportive place for the voices of children, families and communities most impacted by child welfare and adjacent systems and by child maltreatment, foster care and economic deprivation, to be heard and have influence on future policy, service, and practice design. 
5. To share evidence-based research, practice knowledge and lived experiences through an equity, diversity, inclusion and justice lens, about what can transform child welfare and community services for families and communities. 

You can learn more about the annual Kempe Conference: A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare by visiting their website. There is a lot of great information included there, and you can also register for the conference there!