Call for Workshop Proposals

The C4C Conference is excited to announce a call for workshop proposals for the 2025 Champion for Children Conference, in Abilene, TX, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Abilene Downtown Convention Center. The theme of the conference is “Making Children Champions for Life!”

We welcome workshop proposals that focus on the uniqueness and value of child abuse prevention programs and services. Proposals that engage in a culturally resonant approach to traditionally undeserved populations and those that involve interactive learning techniques and innovative methods are encouraged.

Categories for this years conference

- should draw on best available research and/or prevention practices and include information about impact of featured efforts to strengthen and engage communities in prevention of child abuse.

Survivor Services – focus on case studies, successes and lessons learned.

Policy and Legal Advocacy – incorporate effective strategies, ideas, or policy analysis for enhancing a survivor's access to legal justice. Topics may be focused on law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, evidence gathering for trial (i.e. forensic exams), survivors' legal and civil rights and remedies, and increasing collaboration among disciplines (i.e. MDTs, human trafficking coalitions) in order to assist survivors in civil/criminal justice processes.

Social Justice - focus on addressing the impacts of and responses to systemic violence based on race, ethnicity, ability, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, etc.; proposals can include anti-racism work, community organizing, anti-oppression, reproductive justice, etc.

With these categories in mind; topics on all aspects of the violence continuum are being sought, including the following focus areas:

• Children endangered by the opioid crisis
• Human Trafficking (looking for CEU credit for Social Worker and Counselors)
• Role of Criminal Justice/Legal System in child abuse prevention
• Immigration effects on children and family as they enter and settle in the U.S.
• Community organizing for child abuse prevention
• Working with the LGBTQ+ community
• What is the latest and upcoming counseling techniques appropriate for children who have been abused?
• The Ethics of self care for providers

Criteria for proposals

• Session’s learning objectives are clear
• Content reflects best practices to address and/or prevent child abuse
• Session supports critical conversations to advance the filed
• Content is aligned with the conference theme
• Session includes use of mixed learning methods as appropriate
• Content displays an intersectional approach

Workshop Length

• Each workshop session is 90-minutes in length, so please plan your workshop accordingly
• Workshops that cover two (2), 90-minute sessions will also be considered

Who will be there?

The Champion for Children Conference attracts a wide variety of people committed to addressing and preventing child abuse including:

• Advocates/ Preventionists
• Behavioral/Mental Health Professionals
• Community Activists
• Law Enforcement
• Health Care Providers
• Educators
• Campus Professionals
• Prosecutors and Attorneys
• Military
• Offender Management Experts

Proposal Acceptance

Electronic submissions must be received by 8PM (CST) on Friday, October 25, , 2024. Applicants will receive notice by November 8, 2024. For each workshop session, presenter will receive free conference registration (up to 1 for presentations, 2 for case studies). Contracts will be sent to those accepted to discuss additional financial terms.