Maryland CASA’s 12th Annual Conference Aims to Help Foster Children Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Stability
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(Annapolis, Md. – March 14, 2018) More than 250 volunteer advocates, children’s attorneys, and child welfare professionals will converge on Annapolis on Friday, April 27 & Saturday, April 28 for Maryland Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Association’s 12th Annual Conference on Child Well-Being. The conference, entitled Overcoming Obstacles, Achieving Stability, will be held at the Judicial College Education & Conference Center (JCECC) and will provide an opportunity for volunteer advocates and child welfare professionals to hone their skills and improve outcomes for Maryland’s nearly 5,000 abused and neglected children under the protection of the courts.“We’re excited to expand this year’s conference to two days,” said Ed Kilcullen, Maryland CASA’s State Director. “With the growing opioid crisis in Maryland, we felt the need to add a full day to focus on the intersection of addictions and child welfare.”An estimated 70% of child welfare cases involve substance abuse, with increasing numbers of children entering care due to parental substance use disorder and newborns exposed to substances. Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera will kick off the conference, and Secretary of the Maryland Department of Human Services, Lourdes Padilla, will welcome attendees on behalf of Governor Hogan and will provide a proclamation in honor of Foster Care Month, which will begin on May 1. Day 1 will feature plenary speakers, panel discussions with national and regional experts including, but not limited to:
- Birch Barron, Deputy Director, Opioid Operational Command Center- Barbara Bazron, Deputy Secretary, Maryland Department of Health- The Hon. Ronald A. Silkworth, Associate Judge, Anne Arundel County Circuit Court
“Improving outcomes for our Maryland youth can only be achieved when, as a community, we focus simultaneously on a child’s safety and well-being, “ said Maryland Department of Human Services Secretary, Lourdes Padilla. “Thanks in part to our longstanding partnership with Maryland CASA, we are helping children across our state reach their full potential. I am honored to attend the conference on behalf of Governor Hogan, whose administration continues to champion legislation that protects and supports the children and families we serve, so as to make our state a place where everyone can thrive.”Day two will feature an inspirational keynote address followed by breakout sessions on a variety of topics pertinent to children and youth in foster care. This year’s keynote speaker is Ms. Ericka Alston-Buck, Chief Strategist for EAB Strategy & Impact and the Founder of the Penn North Kids Safe Zone, a recreational haven for the children in West Baltimore launched in response to the uprising in Baltimore in the wake of Freddie Gray’s death in 2015. A product of West Baltimore destined to become a statistic, Ericka overcame her own addiction to regain custody of her children and has worked to bring hope to vulnerable children and families throughout Baltimore.Registration is open through March 23, 2018 (or until venue capacity has been reached) to CASA volunteers, staff, foster parents and professionals who serve children and youth in foster care. One-day and two-day registrations are available; the conference is approved for various continuing education credits. For more information, visit marylandcasa.org/2018conference or call 410-828-6761.About Maryland CASA AssociationMaryland (Court Appointed Special Advocates) CASA Association is the statewide organization for 15 local CASA programs that recruit and train volunteers to advocate for children in the child protection system. Last year, 1,371 CASA volunteers served 1,589 children in 21 of Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions. Maryland CASA supports the local CASA programs by providing training and technical assistance to program staff, board, and volunteers, as well as increasing public awareness of CASA and assisting with program development. For more information about Maryland CASA or becoming a CASA volunteer, visit www.marylandcasa.org or call 410-828-6761.