Our Approach
24th Annual Champion for Children Child Abuse Prevention Conference
Every year, the Champion for Children Conference helps communities throughout the Big Country kick off Child Abuse Prevention/Awareness Month.
March 23-24, 2023
About the Conference
The Annual Champion for Children Conference March 23-24, 2023, will be held in Abilene, Texas. Our Theme this year will be Rebuilding your Toolbox Post COVID. The 2-day interdisciplinary conference will explore key themes related to resiliency in children and their families. This will include a focus on: Concepts and theories of resiliency in children and families across cultures, interventions that help build resiliency in children and families, including prevention and treatment, research methods and findings from the study of resiliency across cultures and contexts.
This conference will be of interest to law enforcement, clinicians, medical support nurses, family workers, social workers, therapists, educators, child advocates, youth workers, community workers and people form the voluntary sector.
Attendees will be able to share their work and ideas regarding factors that are critical to the child and family health, well-being and resilience. The conference will provide a unique opportunity to discuss and integrate the latest work and ideas involving resiliency theory, research and practice. It will reflect a wider discourse that will include solution-focused and various therapy perspectives. Presenters will follow the themes: Resilience and Cultural Issues- the Young Child- Family Work – Mental Health/Well-Being, Vulnerable Children/Young People – Education – Post-modern Perspectives and Research Methodologies and Legal Case studies.
Planning Committee
The purpose of this Champion for Children Conference Planning Committee is to help maximize the quality of the Annual Child Abuse Awareness Conference and providing feedback on how to handle high-level policy decisions and ways to engage agencies and other stakeholders about upcoming changes.
Diana Hall - Chair
Melissa Milliorn - Hardin-Simmons University - Vice Chair
Det. Erin Bennett - Abilene Police Department - At Large
Krystal Pullen - Communities in Schools - Secretary
Bridget Cloud - HSU Social Work - Treasurer
Janna Atkins - West Central Texas Council of Governments - TCOLE Provider
Donald Dolton - VA - Technology
Mia Parker - TX Dept. of Family and Protective Services - Luncheon & Sponsorships
John Graham - Taylor County Sheriff’s Office - TV Media
Lee Ann Millender - CASA
Ashley Burton - 2Ingage - T-shirts
Heather Champion - BCFS
Angela Derrick - TX Department of Family and Protective Services - Social
Allison Wesson - New Horizons
Kimberly Kelley - Regional Victim Crisis Center
Det. Josh Ward - Abilene Police Department