B1 - “Together We Can Stop Online Child Exploitation”

Alexandra “Ale” Levi, Senior Campaign Advisor for K2P & HSI Forensic Interview Specialist, Homeland Security Investigations

Join us for an engaging and informative session focusing on the DHS Know2Protect Campaign, a vital initiative aimed at preventing online child exploitation through public awareness and community collaboration. Attendees will learn about the campaign’s history, its strategic goals, and the critical role of Project iGuardian, the campaigns in person training to kids, teens and adults, as well as ways to collaborate and help spread awareness of the horrific crimes of online child sexual exploitation and abuse. This workshop will empower participants with actionable strategies to foster partnerships for creating safer environments for children. Together we can build a united front against online child exploitation and make a meaningful difference in our communities.

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B2 - “Family Strengthening and Family Safety”

Melissa Box, LCSW, MPH, DCFS Deputy Director of Prevention, Illinois DCFS

Maria Miller, MSW, DCFS Chief Deputy Director of Child Protection and State Central Registry,  Illinois DCFS

Illinois DCFS is the state’s child welfare agency, responsible for responding to reports of suspected abuse and neglect. But did you know they do much more than that? DCFS has a new mission, vision, and values;  a new Division of Prevention, a new mandated reporter training; and new ways of engaging with families who come to the attention of the hotline. This session will help participants understand the many ways that DCFS works to prevent abuse and neglect and family disruption, enhance resources for mandated reporters, and provide support to families without the trauma and stress of a formal investigation and formal child welfare system involvement.

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◊◊ B3 - “Bodily Autonomy at SVSE”

Pamela Mendoza Montes, SVSE Child & Youth Therapist, Mujeres Latinas en Accion

Daisy Soto, SVSE Supervisor, Mujeres Latinas en Accion

Panelists will introduce SVSE therapy. An innovative and culturally responsive therapeutic approach developed to support children and families within SVSE settings. This model integrates trauma-informed, survivor-centered and expressive modalities (including movement, music and art) to support emotional regulation and relational repair as well as bodily autonomy, boundaries and rules. Through real-world case examples, panelists will examine how clinicians can balance safety and accountability, foster advocacy, and be self-aware, while working in court mandated frameworks. Participants will gain practical insight into supporting reconnection processes without minimizing harm and into fostering spaces where children are empowered, and their voices and identities remain central.

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B4 - “Supporting Stability: Leveraging Community Models that Keep Families Together”

Ali Schoon, Director of Public Policy, Brightpoint

Paula Corrigan-Halpern, Chief External Affairs Officer, Brightpoint

For too many families, crisis does not arrive one problem at a time; it comes all at once. This is where prevention-focused programs like crisis nurseries or family resource centers can stabilize families before a crisis escalates into a life-altering event. In Illinois, crisis nurseries provide 24/7 emergency child care in moments of acute family stress and wraparound services. Family resource centers also serve as connection points to additional resources such as food, mental health counseling, housing support, and more. In this session, you’ll learn more about the national landscape of crisis nurseries and family resource centers, the national coalition efforts to further this work, and how you can contribute to strengthen prevention systems through coordinated, community-driven approaches.

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++ B5 - “Building Resilience Through Connection and Emotional Safety”

Marquita Casterberry, Speaker | Author | Coach, MLC Legacy

This interactive workshop explores how trauma, stress, and adversity impact behavior, relationships, and emotional regulation. Participants will engage in reflective discussion and practical strategies using the GRACE Framework to strengthen resilience, connection, and supportive environments. Attendees will leave with actionable tools to foster emotional safety, relationship-centered practices, and healthier responses within schools, organizations, and communities.

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++ B6 - “From Bump to Baby and Beyond”

Tracy Patton, MS, Founder, Once Upon Some Messy Fun LLC

Pregnancy and early parenting unfold amid layered stress, identity, culture, and lived experience. In communities we serve, stress is shaped not only by biology but by generational beliefs, cultural expectations, systemic barriers, and community narratives that influence how support is offered and received. This session explores prenatal/postpartum stress through a relationship-based, culturally responsive lens, linking caregiver regulation to infant development and practicing strategies that elevate family voice, strengthen connection, support co-regulation, and build resilience.