Utah Foster Care Annual Symposium

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).

9:10-10:10am Keynote Speaker: Michaeleen Doucleff, PhD NPR Science Correspondent and author of Hunt, Gather, Parent

Michaeleen Doucleff is the author of the New York Times bestseller Hunt, Gather, Parent. Her book offers culturally-grounded approaches to raising helpful and confident children, which moms and dads all over the world have employed for millennia. She also describes how American families can incorporate these ways into their busy, modern lives.

Doucleff wrote the book after traveling to three continents with her 3-year-old daughter, Rosy. Maya, Inuit, and Hadzabe families showed her how to tame tantrums, motivate kids to be helpful, and build children’s confidence and self-sufficiency.

10:15-10:30am Presentation of the Fostering Community Award to Utah’s First Lady Abby Cox.

10:30am-Noon: All In for Families: Megan Carter and Vanessa Knickerbocker

Noon – 1:00: Lunch

The second half of the day will be dedicated to building the Foster Parent Toolbox. Each of our speakers are experienced, dedicated, and knowledgeable foster parents. We are privileged to hear from each of them.

1:15-1:45pm  Lauren Wallentine (Communication with Professionals)

1:45-2:15pm  Suzie and Ryan McCorriston (Ongoing Communication/Integration)

2:15-2:45pm  Jenny and Arkin Hill (Managing Expectations)

3-3:30pm  Borg and Danny Kristensen (Holding our Grief)

3:30-4pm  Lanai Vaitai (Cultural Humility)

4pm-4:30pm  Krista Felts (Resilience)

** 6 hours of in-service credit for licensed foster parents is available.  |  ** 6 NASW-approved CEUs are pending.

** 6 hours of in-service training credit is available for licensed foster families. No NASW CEUs are offered for the online option.