Annual Symposium | Utah Foster Care

Join us in 2026!

Melissa Teemant

Utah Parent Center

Melissa Teemant is a parent consultant serving youth with disabilities in state care at the Utah Parent Center. She serves parents, caregivers and professionals including those working with DCFS, Juvenile Justice and Youth Services, Substance use and Mental Health, the Utah State Hospital and school YIC programs. She has enjoyed working at the Utah Parent Center for the past three years after raising her four children including one who participated in special education. She has an approachable personality and hopes to help those she works with feel comfortable and heard. Outside of work Melissa enjoys being active, the outdoors, trying new restaurants and thrifting.

Lori Cox

Family Support Center

Lori’s early life reflects the experiences of many children in the foster care system. Abandoned at age two in Salt Lake City, she experienced two failed adoptions before finding her permanent family at fifteen. After the early death of her husband, Lori continued her connection to the system by adopting a teen. These experiences shaped her passion for supporting the foster and adoption system.
In 2024, Lori joined the Family Support Center as Executive Director, where she leads efforts aligned with its mission to protect children, strengthen families, and prevent child abuse. One of her goals at the Family Support Center is to provide emergency and respite care for foster and adoptive families and to connect them with community resources that will increase their success.

Kelsey Smalley

Utah Music Therapy

"Kelsie Smalley, MT-BC, is a board-certified music therapist and founder of Utah Music Therapy, serving families across Northern Utah. She earned her degree from Utah State University in 2013 with specialized training in neonatal intensive care, hospice, and palliative care.
With over a decade of clinical experience, Kelsie has supported children and families through grief and transition across medical and end-of-life settings. She spent five years working on all inpatient levels at Primary Children’s Hospital and has also provided music therapy in Level I trauma hospitals and hospice care.

Lindsey Goeckeritz

Ohana Beginnings

Lindsay joins the Ohana team as a parent coach and educator. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Utah in Early Childhood Special Education and a Master of Education from Westminster University, with an emphasis on trauma, resilience, and restorative justice. Lindsay is deeply passionate about teaching and is driven by a commitment to improving outcomes for women and children through healing-centered, relationship-based parent education. Lindsay is also a dedicated advocate for increasing awareness, access, and support for individuals and families impacted by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). She facilitates an online caregiver support group for Utah families affected by FASD, creating space for connection, education, and shared resilience.

Aimee Snow

My Healing Home

Aimee Snow is a mother of seven and “Mimi” to four grandchildren. Two of her children joined her family through international adoption and came from traumatic backgrounds — an experience that shaped her passion for trauma-informed care. After struggling to find effective support for families navigating complex developmental trauma, Aimee became a certified Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) Practitioner and founded My Healing Home in 2016. Her lived experience, professional training, and compassionate leadership have made her a trusted advocate for children and families in her community. Aimee holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marriage and Family Studies from BYU–Idaho and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy. She believes the greatest work you will ever do is within the walls of your home and believes deeply in the power of connection — in families, and in community.

Crystal Ashton

Utah Foster Care

Crystal serves as the Development Director at Utah Foster Care, where she focuses on fundraising and building meaningful community partnerships to support children and families impacted by foster care. She joined the organization in 2023 and brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her role. Crystal has been a foster parent for nine years and is a mom to 7 children- four adopted through her foster care journey. She earned her Executive MBA from the University of Utah in 2022 and is passionate about strengthening communities and improving outcomes for foster families. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling—especially to Disney—and cooking and baking for her family.

Tyler Bastian

Roots Charter School

Tyler Bastian is an educator, filmmaker, father, and founder of Roots Charter High School. Tyler loves to teach and has a passion for discovering and developing potential in everything around him. For four years, Tyler taught Character Education at a local High School and believes positive character is the greatest indicator of success. In 2012 Tyler began to develop the concepts that have become Roots Charter High School. Roots Charter High School is Utah’s first farm-based charter high school. Roots work with students that come from risky environments, helping them find and reach their potential.

Reverend Jamie White

First Presbyterian Church

Rev. Jamie White serves as the senior pastor of the historic First Presbyterian Church of Salt Lake City; prior to which she served congregations in California, Utah, and Pennsylvania. She received her theological education at Vanguard University, Fuller Seminary, and Princeton Seminary. Beyond her ministry in the Presbyterian Church (USA), Jamie serves on several local non-profit boards, working alongside community partners to support mental health awareness, suicide prevention, and foster care; to resource those facing food, housing, and immigration crisis; and to foster interfaith dialogue. Jamie is also a founding board member of Kenya Partners Nakuru, a large non-profit working to break the cycle of poverty and disease for children in rural Kenya by providing healthcare, education, and community support. Jamie is married to Dave, a licensed clinical mental health therapist, and they have three children (Blake 27, Chase 22, Mila 12).

Freedom

Former Foster Youth

Freedom experienced foster care as a young child and was adopted at 5 years old. She currently serves as the Utah Foster Care Youth Ambassador and is President of the Teen Board of Directors for Common Thread. Freedom loves music and plays clarinet in her high school marching band.

Melissa Knighton

Treehouse Literacy

elissa Knighton is a reading tutor who specializes in dyslexia and other reading disabilities.
She holds a Master of Education with an emphasis in special education from the University of Utah, along with a reading endorsement. Melissa began her career in public schools before choosing to homeschool her two daughters through high school. During that time, she continued working with students and now runs a thriving home-based practice for students of all ages, Treehouse Literacy, where she provides individualized assessment and instruction.

Rachel Garrett

Common Thread

Rachel is the Founder and Executive Director of Common Thread, a nonprofit organization focused on helping teens impacted by foster care and other adverse experiences. She holds a Master’s degree in Psychology with a specialization in Child and Adolescent Development. Her thesis explored the effects of trauma on brain function and behavior. With a passion for integrating the latest trauma research into practice, Rachel is committed to fostering healing and connection and building more resources for young people in Utah.

Melany Hillstead

Utah Pet Partner

I am the Executive Director for Utah Pet Partners since 2023. I have 2 greyhound mixed dogs that are registered with my husband and me. We visit at a lot of events (e.g. Camp Hobe and Millie's Princess Foundation for kids going illness, hospital's, senior homes, kids, schools etc). I also have a Blue and Gold Macaw that just became registered as a therapy animal and she visits mostly at senior care facilities.

The Lineup

8:30am-9:00 AM – Registration and Light Breakfast Buffet

Morning Sessions

9:15–9:35 AM — Crystal Ashton (Utah Foster Care): Humor

9:40–10:00 AM — Melissa Knighton (Treehouse Literacy): Literacy

10:05–10:25 AM — Lori Cox (Family Support Center):

10:30–10:50 AM — Tyler Bastian (Roots High): Education

10:55–11:15 AM — Melissa Teemant (Utah Parent Center): Working with schools

11:20–11:40 AM — Pastor Jamie White (1st Presbyterian): Faith

11:45–12:05 PM — Kelsie Smalley (Utah Music Therapy): Music’s role in healing

Lunch Break

12:00–1:00 PM – Lunch Buffet Provided

Afternoon Sessions

1:00–1:20 PM — Aimee Snow (My Healing Home): Play

1:25–1:45 PM — Rachel Garrett (Common Thread): Adolescent support

1:50–2:10 PM — Lindsay Goekeritz (Westminster University): FASD / prenatal exposure

2:15 pm–2:30 PM–Freedom Shearer (Youth Ambassador) What Kids Need

Afternoon Break

2:40 -2:55 PM — Jennie Shepherd (Utah Foster Care): Discovering unexpected strengths

3:00–3:15 PM Natalie Clark–(1999 Collective)

3:20-3:50 PM — Utah Pet Partners: Animals

**The morning and afternoon sessions will be livestreamed for the public at no cost.**

JOIN THE FREE LIVESTREAM BROADCAST HERE!

Location

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get professional CEUs for attending Symposium?

For child welfare and clinical professionals, there will not be continuing education credits available for 2026’s Symposium.

Can I get re-licensure hours for attending?

Yes, foster parents can earn 5 hours for attending.

Will lunch include any vegetarian options?

There will be non-meat side dishes available.

Can I bring my kids?

Babes in arms are welcome. There are comfortable places to step out if they get restless.

Will this be offered in any other languages?

Spanish and/or ASL translation available upon request with advance notice.

Utah Foster Care (UFC) is dedicated to educating foster parents and the larger community about the hopes and struggles of children in foster care. Our annual Symposium brings local and national experts to share their knowledge and skills. The Symposium is open to foster parents, adoptive parents, professionals, and the public. In addition to being an educational and social event, the Symposium is one way for attendees to meet their personal educational goals. For foster parents, the conference counts towards their in-service training requirements. For child welfare and clinical professionals, there are continuing education credits (CEUs) available (the amount varies each year).

Utah Foster Care Annual Symposium