Florida Coalition for Children has record breaking attendance at annual conference

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – July 26, 2023 – PRLog — Florida Coalition for Children 2023 Conference Tops 700 Attendees, Recognizes Outstanding Leadership
The Florida Coalition for Children Foundation and the FCC Learning Community held its 2023 Annual Conference last week at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort in Bonita Springs, Florida where an all-time high number of attendees enjoyed two days focused on child and family well-being with inspiring keynote speakers, educational offerings by national experts, the 2023 FCC Awards program, a bustling trade show, and networking at several fun events.

Monday’s Keynote Speaker Amelia Franck Meyer is a 34-year veteran of the child welfare field and the founder and CEO of the national non-profit, Alia International. Amelia and Team Alia collaborate with parents and partners to create a national movement to keep children safe with, not from, their families. She was named one of People Magazine’s “25 Women Changing the World” in 2018 and 2020 and has a widely viewed TEDx Talk on the human need for belonging.

Keynote Speaker Dr. Kimberly Noble, MD, PhD, a Professor of Neuroscience and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, addressed the general session Tuesday. As a neuroscientist and board-certified pediatrician, she studies how socioeconomic inequality relates to children’s cognitive and brain development. Her work and TEDx Talk (https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?&q…) examines socioeconomic disparities in brain structure and function across infancy, childhood, and adolescence.

The 2023 workshop roster of twenty-five sessions was carefully created from a list of national experts as well as Florida-centered leaders in community-based care. Topics of the workshops ranged from national movements like Thriving Families Safer Children, to addressing childhood trauma, trends in child welfare financing, innovative child welfare career training, and more. The full roster can be found HERE (https://cdn.ymaws.com/flchildren.org/resource/resmgr/2023…).

Community Café-style roundtable discussions and strategy sessions also took place among invited members of the child welfare field, Florida Legislators, State University representatives, and other dignitaries who were also in attendance. Strategies and findings from the study of several systemic issues will be wrapped up in a third annual report on the topics of child welfare workforce retention; equity, inclusion, and disproportionality; parents and caregivers with lived experience; youth engagement; and the Family First Prevention Services Act.

Several outstanding members of the FCC were honored in six categories during the 2023 Awards program for exemplary work in measurably improving the lives of Florida children and families. The recipients are as follows:

Collective Impact Leadership Award: Karin Flositz, CEO, Community Partnership for ChildrenNurturing Well-Being Award: Dennis Maneja, COO, St. Augustine Youth ServicesParent/Caregiver with Lived Experience Award: Amanda Land, Caregiver Support Licensing Level I Specialist, Heartland for ChildrenYouth/Young Adult Leadership Award: Lucan Phillips, Youth Leader, Safe Children CoalitionInnovator of the Year Award: Christopher Rossi, Peer Recovery Specialist Supervisor, Children’s Network of Southwest FloridaChampion for Children Award: Larry Rein, President and CEO, ChildNet

FCC President and CEO Kurt Kelly was also honored for his ten-year tenure leading the charge to transform Florida children and families’ lives to a sustainable path of emotional health and well-being.

Contact
Liz Oberman – Marketing & Event Director
Florida Coalition for Children
***@flchildren.org
8505611102

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