Three UCEDD/LENDs Partner to Offer Conference: Children in Foster Care: Development, Health, and Well-being

Friday, April 11, 2008
8:30am - 4pm
Location: Valhalla, NY

A day long conference to share successful models and to work on challenges to optimal development, health and well-being of children in foster care. This event will take place at Cedarwood Hall, Westchester Institute for Human Development and the School of Public Health at New York Medical College, Valhalla NY.

Who should attend:

• Professionals who direct programs for children in foster care and their families
• Parents with experience as foster parents, adopting from foster care, or having a child return from foster care
• Representatives from state and local agencies involved with children in foster care and their families

Keynote presentations:

• "Promoting the Healthy Development of Young Children in Foster Care: Challenges and Strategies"- Sheryl Dicker JD; Former Executive Director, Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children; Senior Advisor, National Center on Children in Poverty
• "Healthy Children in Foster Care: An Attainable Goal" - Steven Blatt MD; Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Upstate Medical University

Afternoon workgroups co-led by professionals and parents to share what works and to grapple with the challenges in these areas:

• Successful advocacy for improving child well-being: working to change child welfare and court policy and practice

• Meeting the medical and dental needs of children in foster care in NYS

• Infant Mental Health: social and emotional development and the impact of policy on infant mental health

• Permanency Planning for Children in Foster Care in NYS: exploring barriers to permanency and solutions

• Mental Health of Children in Foster Care

• Coordination of Care for Children in Foster Care: challenges and innovations

• Teens in foster care and in college; transition out of foster care; adoption of teens from foster care

• Summary of workgroups moderated by keynote speakers

• Next Steps

Conference Organizers and Sponsors:

The conference was developed as part of the ongoing collaboration between the three University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) and Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) Programs in New York State (listed below), the Developmental Disabilities Planning Council; and the Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities Protection and Advocacy Program. Representatives from other key state agencies have served as conference planning partners. This conference program has been endorsed by NY Chapter 3, American Academy of Pediatrics.

• Rose F. Kennedy UCEDD and LEND Program, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY
• Westchester Institute for Human Development UCEDD and LEND Program, in affiliation with the School of Public Health at New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY
• Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities UCEDD and LEND Program, University of Rochester; Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong; Rochester, NY

Registration

Important Please note: A number of travel stipends are available for parents participating in the conference. If you are interested in applying for the stipend, please contact Leigh Colby at 914-493-8175.

Registration fee: $40 for professionals $10 for parents.

For more information and to register, contact Leigh Colby at 914-493-8175.