What’s Happening Now Archive

November Events

A Way Home America’s State of the Movement (SOTM) Conference

A few of our CFACE staff members attended A Way Home America’s State of the Movement (SOTM) virtual event, which was titled “I Declare Transformation–Activate and Advocate.” A Way Home America is a national organization comprised of “homeless youth providers, advocates, researchers, government agencies, philanthropists and young people dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness among all youth and young adults in the U.S.” October’s two-day event focused specifically on youth and young adult homelessness. The event included keynote speakers, attendee discussions, and poetry.

October Events

The 2023 Kempe Conference

The annual Kempe Conference was held from October 2-5, 2023. Kempe was honored to host the 2023 International Virtual Conference: A Call to Action to Change Child Welfare. The purpose of this conference was to reconvene and expand the international community of practice with over 1,800 participants from over 25 countries. This conference featured keynote speakers and recorded sessions that can still be viewed if you wish you had been able to attend or simply want to check it out.  

This year’s sessions included projects focused on developing new services and supports that respond to the unique needs of 2SLGBTQ+ children, youth and families; working with systems-involved youth who have been trafficked; building a comprehensive child maltreatment prevention framework; centering culture for transformative systems change; and so much more

September 2023

• Word from our trainers- Social Media:Social Styles 
  Communication can be tricky for everyone, especially when it feels like you are never speaking the same language as some of your colleagues. In social work, we strive to live by the platinum rule: “Treat others how they want to be treated.” download the .pdf to learn more

August 2023

• Training, training, and more training coming up soon! As we have entered the second half of 2023, we are happy to share that our social services in-person trainings have begun for this fiscal year. Thus far, we have 10 events planned through December. These events will support child welfare workers, family support workers, as well as community workers and their partners on the topics of domestic violence, cultural diversity, family and community services, and neutral facilitation skills. Events will be offered around the state, and for those eligible to attend, event information can be found on our website here: In-Person Child Welfare Training.
  
  We will be continuing to add in-person events to the calendar in the areas of domestic violence and engaging fathers when those event dates have been determined. So, please stay tuned! We will be placing some online learning events on our calendar in the near future as well! We look forward to serving your upcoming learning needs this second half of 2023!

• August has historically been an important month for ‘all things’ back to school!Within a traditional school setting, it is the time of year when school staff are preparing for returning students, young people and their families are gearing themselves up to get back into a routine, and everyone looks forward to starting off with good energy and focus for a successful year. For high schoolers, particularly those starting their senior year of high school, the month of August holds many emotions. Students enter the year excited for all they have accomplished educationally and through extracurriculars, and they are ready to enjoy being back with friends as upperclassmen. In the midst of this exciting time, high school seniors also face stress, nervousness, and anticipation about what life has to offer them after high school is over. Some seniors enter the upcoming year wondering if it may be their last year of formal schooling. Others have no idea what opportunities may lie ahead for them or how to proceed forward with their post-secondary goals and dreams. This mixture of excitement and stress is significantly compounded for many young people who also face economic challenges, familial challenges, and societal pressures/prejudices based on who they are, where they live, and other factors not within their control. Recognizing a need, North Carolina State University College Advising Corps, school partners, Americorps, and College Advising Corps (non-profit partner) have been working together since the 2014–2015 academic year to assist students facing challenges and who are low-income, first-generation college, and underrepresented students from rural North Carolina in navigating the process of post-secondary futures, college and otherwise. This year, the Advising Corps has a wonderful group of young adults who have been readying themselves all summer to join their assigned high schools as near peer advisers. Please take a look at their web page, NC State University Advising Corps for more information and ways you may be able to join, support, or spread the word about this wonderful work!
  
• “Stronger Together”– The North Carolina Association of County Departments of Social Services (NCACDSS) just sponsored and completed a three-day Social Services Institute on August 4, 2023. This year’s event was held in Hickory, NC at the Hickory Metro Convention Center with speakers, workshops, and discussions that focused on how, together, social services systems can work to meet the evolving spectrum of social services needs in an equitable, inclusive, and community engaged way. Over the three days, many workshops were held to support professional development and learning needs of child welfare, adult services, and medical/economic support professionals. Attending these workshops were staff with experience and expertise ranging from direct service provision to agency administration. The Center’s assistant director was invited to be a part of a panel discussion focused in the area of domestic violence. The director’s association was excited to be able to return to an in-person conference format, and welcomed attending professionals to join in raising the bar of engagement across agencies on behalf of children, families and adults who utilize North Carolina’s social services systems.

June 2023

• Spotlight on Cherokee County Cherokee County’s Social Services Director, Amanda McGee is strongly committed to supporting her workforce and to be able to providing high level, quality services to help children in Cherokee County.……download .pdf to learn more
• “I Declare Transformation: Recharge and Speak Up!” State of the Movement Event 2023 On June 6–-7th, the organization, A Way Home America, hosted a two-day state of the movement event titled, “I Declare Transformation: Reccharge and Speak Up!” 
  
  download .pdf to learn more