The newly appointed executive director of Mississippi’s Division of Family and Children’s Services will discuss plans for overhauling the state’s foster care and child-welfare systems during a presentation at the annual Mississippi Child Welfare Institute (MCWI) Conference in downtown Jackson. The event, Jan. 27-29 at the Marriott Hotel at 200 E. Amite Street, is sponsored by Jackson State University’s School of Social Work.
Executive director David Chandler, a former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice, will be keynote speaker Thursday, Jan. 28, and will join national and Mississippi experts in health rights, fundraising, Head Start, adolescence medicine, foster care and other fields during the conference.
The conference begins Wednesday, Jan. 27, with a youth empowerment session and continues Thursday and Friday with plenary sessions and workshops. The closing luncheon will be Friday. Registration costs (before Jan. 18) are $125 for professionals, $45 for students and $200 for exhibitors.
Since 2002, the annual event has attracted hundreds of attendees, including renowned speakers, professors, professionals, college students and vendors from throughout the state and country. Continuing education units (CEUs) are available for Mississippi practitioners. Children’s advocates, church leaders, youth, and others working to provide healthy and safe environments for families and communities are invited to attend the conference.
Plenary speakers include Pearl Dowell, president of the Early Learning Consulting Group, based in Winston Salem, N.C. She is known for raising millions of dollars to support minority male initiatives, Head Start and other programs. Dr. Samuel L. Jones, vice president for Student Affairs at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Miss., will also participate. He is an author, professional speaker, and former professional basketball player. Other local speakers include Dr. Sadhana Dharmapuri and Dr. Nneka Holder of the University of Mississippi Medical Center Division of Adolescent Medicine.
Dr. Ricardo A. Brown, dean of the JSU College of Public Service, said, “The Annual Mississippi Child Welfare Conference provides an opportunity for regional and national stakeholders to learn and share their knowledge and experience to assist the most vulnerable in our communities – children. The College of Public Service and the School of Social Work at Jackson State University applaud this important work, and we are honored to be a partner.”
The MCWI is part of JSU’s School of Social Work in the College of Public Service. It provides in-service and pre-service education for current and prospective child welfare public and private employees.
For additional information about sponsorship and the conference, contact co-chair Dr. Theresia Ratliff at 601-979-8899 or theresia.johnson-ratliff@jsums.edu. A portion of the conference’s proceeds will benefit the Gwendolyn Spencer Prater Endowed Scholarship in Public Service at JSU. For speakers, registration information and workshop information, visit the Mississippi Child Welfare Institute conference page on JSU’s School of Social Work website.