Join FFTA in Washington, D.C. as we share information and resources at the FFTA Annual Public Policy Institute. Empowering collaborative change by uniting cross sector professionals, dedicated staff, passionate advocates, those with lived expertise, and the community to shape and advance inclusive polices that prioritize the well-being of children, families, and communities.  Together, we can ensure a collective impact on our future.

The two-day program will include a concentrated educational session Monday morning, excursions into downtown Washington, D.C. Monday afternoon and impactful legislative meetings on Tuesday morning.

Key Institute Topics:

• Mental & Behavioral Health Challenges
• Poverty and Child Well-being
• Trauma Informed Treatment
• Prevention Services
• Kinship and Relative Care

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Register today to join us virtually for this free 13-part webinar series. Click on title below to register online. Professionals will share their knowledge and evidence-based strategies to further support children and encourage positive behavior function.

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Join Child Trends for a webinar presentation on Wednesday May 8, from 2:00 pm ET to 3:00 pm ET to review learnings from our recently released 100-year Review of Research on Black Families. The review covers economic, demographic, and political shifts from 1920 to 2020, examining decade by decade the evolution of research methods, priorities, and funding over time. Study authors Dr. Chrishana M. Lloyd and Dr. Sara Shaw will highlight: the historical role of public agencies and academia in supporting research on Black families and the implications; how Black family demographics have changed over time; and the ways in which research, policy, and practice must shift to attend to historical and contemporary challenges important for Black families. Participants will also hear reactions from policy and research experts and plans for next steps related to the work. We look forward to sharing this groundbreaking work with you. Link to the report: https://www.childtrends.org/publications/100-year-research-black-families

REGISTER HERE

Register today to join us virtually for this free 13-part webinar series. Click on title below to register online. Professionals will share their knowledge and evidence-based strategies to further support children and encourage positive behavior function.

REGISTER HERE

Substance Abuse: Understanding its Impact on Children and Families

The LA Children’s Trust Fund presents the monthly Coffee and Conversations series focused on the the of Substance Use and Understanding the the Impact on Children and Families, with our guest speaker, Dr. Joy Bracey with CADA Prevention and Recovery Center. Attend this session to learn more information to build a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted impact of substance use on children and families. Participants will gain insights into the challenges faced by families affected by substance use and learn how to effectively support them. Learn practical tools and interventions to support families dealing with substance abuse, including effective communications techniques, resources for accessing support services, and strategies for building a supportive community network.

About the guest speaker:

Joy Bracey, Ed.D., LPC, NCC attained her Doctor of Education in Executive Leadership at the University of Holy Cross in New Orleans, Louisiana and her Master of Education in Counseling at the University of New Orleans. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a National Certified Counselor, and an adjunct professor at Teacher’s College- Columbia University, teaching self-awareness to master’s degree students. Dr. Joy allowed her calling to help others to shape her career, providing mental health services and addiction treatment for New Orleans’ most vulnerable communities. For the past 12 years, she has served as the President & CEO of CADA Prevention & Recovery Center, a non-profit addiction treatment & mental health agency, while serving in leadership roles on numerous local and national boards, coalitions, and advisory councils. Dr. Joy uses her background and education to teach self-love, inner critic healing, inner child healing, emotional skills, mindfulness, and self-awareness online, in workshops and retreats, and through public speaking engagements. She provides coaching and counseling to individuals to help them along on their journey of discovering who they are, so they can fully embrace self-compassion and experience inner peace.

Sign up today! You must be present for over 50% of the presentation for us to award credits. 

REGISTER  HERE

Faces Behind the Files:

Lived Experience within the Child Welfare System

The directives that states are receiving from the federal Children’s Bureau emphasize engaging persons who have lived experience with a Child in Need of Care case including parents and children or youth. Persons who have first-hand contact with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and the legal system can and should help guide and direct efforts to improve our child welfare system. Parents and children bring clarity to the broader implications of our actions, allowing us to improve our approach to individuals and their cases. Samantha Morrison and Jarvis Spearman will share about their experiences in the Louisiana child welfare system. Former assistant district attorney Sarah Hood will give her perspective as well.

Speakers:

Samantha M. Morrison, Peer and Equity Specialist, Pelican Center for Children and Families is the Peer and Equity Specialist for the Pelican Center’s Court Improvement Program in which she has been working for the past six months in this position. Ms. Morrison is a certified Peer Support Specialist (with lived experience) and a previous background as a Peer Support Coordinator with East Baton Rouge Parish Family Preservation Court under Judge Adam Haney. Faced with substance abuse challenges, her 3 daughters were removed from her home and placed in the care of her parents until she decided to change her life. Ms. Morrison has been clean and sober for almost 4 years. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, spending time with her children, helping people and reading. She is currently working on her Bachelor’s Degree in Education with aspirations to gain her Doctorate Degree in History and attend Law School.

And

Jarvis Spearman, LMSW, is a Grambling State University graduate and is currently working on his “Doctorate in Social Work” while working towards his LCSW (clinical social work license). He serves as a Mental Health Professional at Swanson Center for Youth, counseling boys in a secure juvenile setting, and is also a “Certified Foster Parent” fostering teen boys. He served as a Bereavement Coordinator with Heart of Hospice in Monroe for three years, and during that time, he helped families and patients before and after the death of a loved one. Jarvis served as an assistant counselor at Johnny Robinson Boys Home, working under the licensed clinical social worker for two years, providing individual, group, and family sessions to clients and families. Being raised in the foster care system for 12 years with his siblings, he dedicated his time and passion to working at Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home, giving back to the life he came from. There, Jarvis worked in the Life Skills Program in Ruston, LA, for 6.5 years as a Peer Support Specialist and Advocate for the Louisiana Foster Care System. He held the title of President for the State of Louisiana Youth Advocacy group known as LEAF (Louisiana Elite Advocacy Force) for many years, serving as a voice for former and current foster youth advocating to ensure the betterment of the foster care system. Jarvis has served as a speaker and panelist at multiple conferences throughout Louisiana, such as the QPI (Quality Parenting Initiative) Conference held in New Orleans, the Together We Can Conference in Lafayette, LA, and the Foster Parent Conference. He has also participated actively in a Task Force dealing with youth aging out of foster care in Louisiana. In 2017, Jarvis participated in the Foster Youth Intern Program at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge, LA. There, he gave a wonderful testimony that touched everyone in attendance. From this internship experience, he was a part of the force that pushed Senate Bill 109 into place, which extended foster care to age 21 for all youth in care on their 18th birthday. This voluntary program allows the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to provide intensive services to aid youths’ transition to adulthood. As President of the LEAF board, Jarvis and his peers got the opportunity to create Louisiana’s first Foster Youth Bill of Rights. Jarvis has gained many awards for his hard work. Jarvis has traveled out of the country on mission trips to serve and be a beacon of happiness to others. Through it all, he strives to be a better individual by giving back to the community and being a light in the lives of vulnerable populations.

With

Sarah Hood, J.D., is the Deputy Judicial Administrator and Hearing Officer, Caddo Parish Juvenile Court. Sarah Midboe Hood was raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and graduated from McKinley Senior High School in 1997. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Louisiana Tech University in 2001 and her Juris Doctorate and Bachelor of Civil Law degrees from the Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 2004. Upon graduation, Sarah served as the judicial law clerk for the Thirtieth Judicial District Court, located in Leesville, Louisiana. In 2006, she joined the Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office and served in many roles during her sixteen-year tenure as an Assistant District Attorney. Some of her work included serving as the Section Chief of the Criminal Drug Section and Section Chief of Criminal Offenses (Section 3), where she prosecuted major felonies, death penalty cases, homicides and aggravated sexual offenses. Her last six years in the District Attorney’s Office, she was the sole prosecutor of Child in Need of Care (“CINC”) cases for Caddo Parish. In 2022, Sarah accepted the position of, and currently serves, as the Deputy Judicial Administrator and a Hearing Officer for the Caddo Parish Juvenile Court. Sarah is married to Michael Hood, who is the Assistant Chief over Investigations and the Bomb Squad Commander for the Shreveport Fire Department and they have two children, Hunter (8) and Elizabeth (4). They attend Cypress Baptist Church and reside in Benton, Louisiana.

Agenda:

12-12:40 pm Lived Experience within the Child Welfare System

12:40-12:50 pm A Prosecutor’s Perspective

12:50-1:00 pm Questions & Discussion

Objectives:

Learn about the impact of Child in Need of Care cases and court experiences on individuals and families.

Understand the broader implications of child welfare stakeholder actions on parents and children.

REGISTER HERE

Register today to join us virtually for this free 13-part webinar series. Click on title below to register online. Professionals will share their knowledge and evidence-based strategies to further support children and encourage positive behavior function.

REGISTER HERE

Register today to join us virtually for this free 13-part webinar series. Click on title below to register online. Professionals will share their knowledge and evidence-based strategies to further support children and encourage positive behavior function.

REGISTER HERE

REGISTER HERE