Voices for Children : 17th Annual Congress on Children: Nurturing Every Child

September 25, 2015 at the Whitley Theological Center; $20/seat or $200/reserved table for 8

(Breakfast and lunch, water, tea and coffee included)

Register at voicessa.org

THE NURTURE EFFECT – Keynote Presentation

Tony Biglan, PhD, a research scientist from the Oregon Research Institute will provide a keynote presentation on the “Nurture Effect.” Biglan will share how 30 years of scientific discoveries have led us to know enough to ensure that virtually every young person arrives at adulthood with the skills, values, and health behaviors to thrive in today’s society. A unifying principle across these scientific discoveries and a method for wide-ranging social improvement focuses on creating more nurturing environments. Biglan will describe how this research can lead to action, in which groups of parents, teachers, advocates, and policymakers join together locally and nationally to create a science-guided social movement that prioritizes the creation of nurturing environments at home, in school, at work, and in our communities.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE – Recapping the 84th Texas Legislative Session. Members of the Bexar County Delegation will address the issues and outcomes of the 84^th Legislative Session and discuss interim work for the 85^th Session in 2017. Moderated by Pamela McPeters, Director of Public Policy, TexProtects

AFTERNOON PLENARY – Keeping Kids in Families Campaign.  Alliance for Strong Families and Communities works for transformational change by representing and supporting its network of hundreds of nonprofit human-serving organizations across North America as they translate knowledge into best practices that improve their communities. The new Keeping Kids in Families campaign develops and supports policy solutions that help to strengthen our nation’s child welfare system through investments in prevention, early interventions and treatments that keep children safe and in permanent families, whenever possible. Presenter: Anne Myers, Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, Director of Network Mobilization

Breakout Sessions:

NURTURING SCHOOLS – Restorative Discipline. The practices of the Restorative Discipline model will be presented by Kevin Curtis, local Educational Consultant.  Kevin has 17 years’ experience in public schools and has successfully implemented the Restorative Discipline program in a local school district resulting in significant improvements in school climate and student success.

NURTURING the Whole Child – Public Health Approach. Robert Ferrer, MD, MPH, John M. Smith, Jr. Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, will highlight issues in addressing and promoting healthy and holistic child development, including social determinants of child and family health.

NURTURING Systems – Specialized Courts. Judge Peter Sakai, 225^th District Court,  Bexar County children’s court and family drug court supervising Judge, and Connie Almeida, PhD, LSSP, Director of Behavioral Health Services, Fort Bend County, will share best practice court models, local success with specialized courts and upcoming implementation plans for Bexar County’s first early intervention court.

NURTURING Communities: Collaboration with the Faith Community.  Child and Youth Advocates will explore collaboration between the faith community (churches, houses of worship) and social service efforts in neighborhoods and neighborhood schools to support family and student success.