Coincides with National Child Abuse Prevention Month

Close to 2,500 child welfare professionals will be in Portland April 16–21 for a national conference that includes national and local presenters as well as a showcase of local agencies serving as models around the United States for successful approaches to combating child abuse and neglect.

The 16th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect will take place in Portland this year, April 16–21, 2007, its first-ever West Coast visit. This year’s theme, “Protecting Children, Promoting Healthy Families, and Preserving Communities,” builds on an “Oregon approach” to caring for children, says Katharine Cahn, executive director of this year’s local host, the Center for Improvement of Child and Family Services in Portland State University’s Graduate School of Social Work.

“In Oregon, keeping kids safe is a top priority,” said Cahn. “Nationally-known models of family support and community involvement have been developed and tested here. It’s exciting to show our strength to a national audience.”

Several national leaders and advocates will deliver keynote addresses at this year’s conference:
April 17: William C. Bell, CEO and President, Casey Foundation, Seattle, Wash.
April 18: Robert Clyman, MD, Executive Director, Kempe Children’s Center, Denver, Colo.
April 19: Juan Williams, Senior Correspondent, National Public Radio, Washington, D.C.
April 19: Joan E. Ohl, Commissioner, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Commissioner’s Award Ceremony)
April 20: Judge Patricia Walker-Fitzgerald, Circuit Court Judge, Family Division, Louisville, Ky.
April 21: Hilary Weaver, MS, DSW, Associate Professor, State University of New York, Buffalo, N.Y.

The conference theme, “Protecting Children, Promoting Healthy Families, and Preserving Communities,” reflects a resolve to ensure that every child enjoys a healthy family life in a nurturing community. It emphasizes the importance of creating safe havens for children, enabling them to thrive at home and in their neighborhood. The theme promotes the idea of communities joining with professionals to establish collaborative relationships and strategies to prevent child maltreatment and provide responsive services and treatment.

Conference offerings include several “Experiential Learning Opportunities,” tours of local sites with innovative and successful approaches to child abuse prevention. These sites also host some of the PSU Graduate School of Social Work’s master’s students who are specifically focused on child welfare issues.

Experiential Learning Opportunities Site Visits:
Insights Teen Parent Program
The Insights Teen Parent Program, a nonprofit social service agency for 27 years, has become the primary provider of no-cost services and support to pregnant and parenting teens and their children in Portland and Multnomah County. Thirteen programs offer comprehensive, wrap-around services to an average of 1,500 young families every year in an effort to develop healthy parenting and foster healthy children in this vulnerable population.

Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center
Originally founded in 1975 to meet the needs of migrant and seasonal farm workers and their families, the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center now serves annually 30,000 low-income and uninsured persons representing many cultural, linguistic and vocational backgrounds.

Child Abuse Response and Evaluation Services Northwest
Celebrating its 20th year, Child Abuse Response and Evaluation Services Northwest (CARES NW) is a collaborative, community-based center serving more than 4,000 children annually with state-of-the-art medical assessment and treatment of child abuse services. Services at CARES NW, one of the oldest and largest child abuse assessment centers in the nation, include a comprehensive medical evaluation of sexual and physical abuse, neglect, exposure to domestic violence or to a critical incident; triage; consultation and training; research and prevention.

Early Childhood Campus Community Collaboration to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect
Participants visiting the Early Childhood Campus Community Collaboration will convene at the Center for Family Success, which serves as the hub for families involved with the criminal justice system in a community notable for its high crime rate and poverty level.

This year's conference is sponsored by the federal Office of Child Abuse and Neglect. PSU’s Center for Improvement of Child and Family Services is providing local coordination under the direction of an extensive local planning committee, co-chaired by Dean Kristine Nelson of PSU's Graduate School of Social Work and Ramona Foley of the Oregon State Department of Human Services. Individuals or organizations interested in volunteering or sponsoring this event should contact Event Coordinator Tony Stroh, 503-725-8018, or Katharine Cahn, cahnk@pdx.edu. For more information, visit www.pal-tech.com/cbconference/index.cfm. To volunteer for the conference, visit www.regonline.com/NCCAN2007.

About the Center for Improvement of Child and Family Services
The Center for Improvement of Child and Family Services (www.ccf.pdx.edu), housed in the Graduate School of Social Work at Portland State University, integrates research, education and training to advance the delivery of services to children and families. The Center works with agency and community partners to promote a child welfare system that protects children, respects families, and builds community capacity to address emerging needs. The Center includes and builds on the long-standing Child Welfare Partnership program, founded in 1994 to advance child welfare through research, education, and training.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (#07-044)

Source: Katharine Cahn (503-725-8122)
PSU Graduate School of Social Work