The 2024 Georgia Conference on Child Abuse & Neglect delivered on its promise to enhance best practices and share research-informed content with those who serve to strengthen Georgia’s families.
Held Sept. 11 at the Hilton Peachtree City Atlanta Hotel & Conference Center, the annual gathering of prevention professionals once again sold out several weeks in advance. Prevent Child Abuse Georgia, the Stephanie V. Blank Center for Safe and Healthy Children at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy co-hosted the event.
This year’s theme, “Lean on Me,” is a nod to the ecosystem shift toward creating a culture of family support, proactively responding to strengthen families, and valuing and uplifting people raising children.
Close to 350 attendees were informed on topics related to prevention, intervention, and the treatment of children and families impacted by child maltreatment.
PCA Georgia Executive Director Jennifer Stein marked her 10th year attending the conference, having served in the prevention space as a regional volunteer, Family Resource Center Director, and in her current leadership role.
“I was particularly proud of this year’s theme of Lean on Me, which evokes memories of the significant support I received as a newcomer to the child welfare field from the many prevention partners who are now my friends,” Stein said. “As we listened to our keynote, Dr. Charlyn Harper Brown expanded our understanding of the Strengthening Families Protective Factors, families that we have helped both formally and informally came to mind as we stood in the gap and supported them in building a network to lean on as they navigated the bumpy road of parenting. Additionally, connecting with colleagues around our united passion for doing more work upstream to prevent family separations filled my cup and inspired me.”
PCA Georgia Assistant Director Dr. Jyll Walsh welcomed the attendees to kick off the morning’s agenda, calling the group to consider a fresh perspective, weaving in the theme of “Lean on Me.”
“Often our systems are designed to respond to children and families after they are in crisis, or to act as surveillance on families, to report their deficits,” Walsh said. “But, what if we stopped judging caregivers who are struggling and started examining the barriers that have allowed them to struggle…What if our first approach to families wasn’t ‘What did you do?’ or ‘What happened?’ but first asking caregivers, ‘How can I help you?’ or ‘What do you need?’” This approach reflects the ongoing work of PCA Georgia to reframe Mandated Reporters as Mandated Supporters. An encore presentation of the Lean on Me conference workshop will occur virtually on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 10 a.m.
CHOA has been co-hosting with Prevent Child Abuse Georgia since 2016.
“This year’s theme of Lean on Me highlights the shift we are trying to make in the field. We recognize more and more than supporting parents and caregivers leads to healthier and safer kids,” said Stephanie V. Blank, Center for Safe and Healthy Children at CHOA Program Manager, Prevention and Training Angie Boy, DrPH, “Our sessions focused on equipping our participants to better support the communities they serve.”
GCCA Director of Prevention and Education Tiffany Sawyer echoed the sentiments of Stein and Boy with her feedback about the event.
“What a tremendous success the 2024 Georgia Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect was! This year’s theme, ‘Lean on Me,’ which is central to the work of the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy, underscores the vital importance of community support and collaboration in our efforts to protect and uplift children and more specifically their caregivers,” Sawyer said. “The theme was evident throughout the conference, from the exceptional workshop sessions to the new ‘Relaxation Station’ allowing participants to focus on rest and their own well-being, to the multiple opportunities for meaningful connections. GCCA’s Prevention team is proud to be a host of this annual, impactful conference!”
A much-anticipated part of the conference is the recognition of the Mark Chaffin Community Awards recipients, this year going to Nancy Chandler, MSW, and the late Chris Allers, PhD.
The award is presented to individuals who have contributed mightily to preventing child abuse and neglect in Georgia.
Keynote speaker Dr. Charlyn Harper Browne, PhD, Senior Fellow, Center for the Study of Social Policy, delivered a talk on the Strengthening Families Protective Factors.
Throughout the conference, attendees attended workshops that discussed research, recommendations, community initiatives, and interventions. Topics included Supporting Youth at the Intersection of Neurodivergence and Trauma; Preventive Legal Advocacy: Family-Focused Advocacy to Reduce Child Welfare System Involvement; CDC’s Efforts to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse; Making Data Count with GaFCP Kids Count; Enhancing Safety and Improving Support Services for Immigrant Victims of Family Violence; An Overview of Child Abuse Pediatrics; Beyond the Lobby: Collaboration, Empowerment, & Support for Caregivers; Lean On Me: Creating a Culture of Support; Protective Factors Power Hour and others. For a complete list of workshops, visit the conference link shared below.
As part of our trauma-informed efforts, the conference offered an all-day Relaxation Station for participants to prioritize self-care, recharge, or simply decompress.
Click here to read more about the conference.