Opening Plenary
Opening Plenary
December 5, 2023
Of the 7.2 million children in the U.S. referred to child protective services, children under the age of 3 enter the child welfare system more than any other age group. Inequities and related stressors and trauma have multiplied since the pandemic, especially for BIPOC families, often resulting in their over-representation in the child welfare system. Early childhood system partners are stretching to meet the needs of families and involving parents with lived experience in the change that is occurring but there is still work to be done. What is working or promising? Successful partnerships with early childhood education (ECE), and infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) professionals are essential to reducing involvement with child welfare and supporting families who are in the system, especially during children’s crucial first three years of life. What do successful partnerships mean to you and look like in your practice, setting, and early childhood system? Hear from and engage with Dorothy Roberts and Brenda Jones Harden as they illuminate families’ needs, child welfare challenges, and discuss multiple strategies and approaches.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Describe stressors and related trauma that currently impact BIPOC families often resulting in their over-representation in the child welfare system
- Identify strategies and approaches that cultivate successful partnerships with child welfare in the early childhood field
- Recognize the essential role of early childhood education and infant and early childhood mental health professionals in reducing involvement with child welfare and supporting families who are in the system, especially during children’s first three years of life