WEBINAR & REPORT RELEASE

Wednesday, July 30, 2025
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. CT

"In 33 years of practice, we have not had a claim or loss. We also have an outstanding record with our state licensure agency…We were facing a 500% increase in our premiums this year...Our broker has warned us that next year's renewal process might be even worse…These issues may force us to close our doors.” -Child welfare services provider

Various kinds of insurance are costing more for individuals and organizations across sectors, but child welfare providers across the United States are facing urgent challenges accessing adequate and affordable liability insurance, putting the availability of the continuum of child and family services and supports at risk. The National Organization of State Associations for Children (NOSAC)  and the Association of Children's Residential & Community Services (ACRC), in partnership with multiple state associations and national partners, recently completed a survey to better understand the size and scope of the problem nationwide and the disruption that this challenge presents to effective public-private partnerships that support child and family well-being. Join us for the release of this report, which shares initial findings from a survey of 327 organizations across 46 states revealing that:

• providers across the country are paying higher premiums for lesser coverage–or are unable to obtain coverage at all;
• longstanding, high-quality providers with no claims against them are being impacted because the insurance marketplace is changing;
• insurance challenges will impact the availability of a diverse array of child welfare-related services, including family preservation services, foster family care, kinship homes, respite care, counseling services, and more;
• there is a collective call for legislative reform, shared risk models, and recalibration of insurance requirements to reflect what is feasible and fair in the current market environment.

Join us for an ACRC Webinar!

10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. CST

This presentation will explore gender beyond the binary and offer best practices for supporting the wellbeing of transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse youth in systems of care. Join these presenters for this timely and important conversation.

Presented by:

Vida Khavar, LMFT (she/her), is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has 30 years’ experience in systems of care. Vida has assisted many organizations in developing programs that provide permanency for children and families. Vida was a consultant for the federal project: RISE, which aimed at improving the lives of LGBTQ+ youth in foster care in Los Angeles County. She is currently the Clinical Director at Family Builders. As such, she collaborates with the California Department of Social Services in developing and implementing affirming policies and practices for LGBTQ+ children in foster care. Vida also leads the Youth Acceptance Project and provides her clinical expertise to several jurisdictions throughout the country. Vida is multicultural and speaks several languages.

Elliott Hinkle, BS, PSS (they/them), Principal and Founder of Unicorn Solutions LLC, is a skilled speaker, facilitator, trainer, advisor, and national expert focused on elevating lived expertise in systems that serve children, youth, and families particularly in support of LGBTQIA2S+ community members. They bring 13+ years lived and professional experience on topics such as child welfare, youth mental health, and the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Elliott graduated from Portland State University with a Bachelors of Science in Women, Gender, Sexuality, and Queer studies. Elliott has lived experience in the Wyoming Foster Care System as a young person, has just moved back to Wyoming, but calls Oregon a second home. They previously served 3 years as a Federal Lived Experience Expert Partner for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - Equity Technical Assistance Center (ETAC). Elliott serves on a variety of boards and committees supporting local, state, and national efforts as a volunteer in efforts they are passionate about.

Registration Rates:
Free to Members / $50 Non-Members
Attendance Certificates available upon request

NASW CEUs (1.5 credits):
Free to Members / $25 Non-Members
*MUST watch webinar LIVE and complete
evaluation to receive NASW credit*

*each individual requesting NASW CEUs for this webinar, must be registered and logged in to Zoom under their own name*

Click here to view registration rates, the session schedule, and more.

NASW CEUS:
$20 per session (2 credit hours each)

IMPORTANT: ACRC has been approved for the first session to offer NASW CEUs. Once the session has concluded on August 20, attendees will be prompted to complete an evaluation. At the end of the evaluation, attendees will be prompted to complete payment of $20 for 2 CE Hours. If approved for additional sessions, ACRC will communicate to registrants and the process will remain the same to receive the certificates.

**each individual requesting NASW CEUs, must be registered and logged in to Zoom under their own name**

Attendance Certificates:
Available at no cost for attendees for each session
*Must complete evaluations*

In Partnership With

Join us for an ACRC Webinar!

12 - 1 p.m. CST

Learn how Silver Lining Mentoring has launched e-Mentoring to extend support to young people transitioning out of care. This session explores how to integrate e-Mentoring into your program and connect transition-age youth to mentors to ensure ongoing support after program exit.

Presented by:

Leah Harrigan (she/her), is the Assistant Director of Education and Training at Silver Lining Mentoring, where she supports educational opportunities for child welfare practitioners and volunteer mentors matched with youth impacted by foster care. With a background in classroom teaching, clinical social work, and social service leadership, Leah focuses her work on delivering trauma-informed mentorship practices for young people in care.

Throughout the past seven years working in direct service and program management roles at Silver Lining, Leah has focused on sharing best practices for enduring mentoring relationships to elevate meaningful learning opportunities for the child welfare community. Leah holds an M.A. in Child Study and Human Development from Tufts University and a certificate in Social Impact Management and Leadership from the Institute for Nonprofit Practice.

Christina Haines (she/her), is working to create a future where involvement with the child welfare system is rare and, when it does occur, sets a young person on a firm path toward wellbeing, financial independence, and self-determination in adulthood. Christina has immersed herself in understanding and improving the child welfare system through firsthand experience. She is a former foster parent, mentor, current volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) to youth in foster care, and child welfare philanthropist.

Christina first became involved with Silver Lining Mentoring as a volunteer mentor in 2015. She joined the organization as a staff member in 2018. As Chief Strategy Officer since 2024, she ensures Silver Lining Mentoring plays a leading role in growing the mentoring movement for youth impacted by foster care, ensuring high-quality, consistent relationships are front and center. Christina spearheads strategic planning for the organization, advises on resource allocation, and shapes innovation toward impact. Earlier in her career, Christina served as Associate Director for Policy and Institutional Outreach of the Harvard Global Health Institute, an interdisciplinary research, and education initiative. She also worked in growth capital for the nonprofit sector at venture philanthropy firm, New Profit, as the Manager of the Reimagine Learning Fund, a capacity-building fund aimed at improving the K-12 education system to better serve students impacted by poverty or trauma.

Christina earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Marist College and a Master of Liberal Arts from Harvard with a concentration in government.

Registration Rates:
Free to Members / $50 Non-Members
Attendance Certificates available upon request - Must be registered and logged in to Zoom under your own name to receive credit

ACRC SPONSORSHIP

$20,000 - Windy City Includes 8 in-person registrations and virtual ‘all in’ registration for the entire organization. Also includes a half page ad.

$15,000 -  Chi-Town Includes 5 in-person registrations and virtual ‘all in’ registration for the entire organization. Also includes a quarter page ad. 

$10,000 - Magnificent Mile Includes 4 in-person registrations and virtual 'all in' registration for the entire organization

$7,500 - Grant Park Includes 3 in-person registrations and virtual ‘all in’ registration for the entire organization

$5,000 - Navy Pier  Includes 2 in-person registrations and virtual ‘all in’ registration for the entire organization

$3,000 - Millennium Park Includes 1 in-person registrations and virtual ‘all in’ registration for the entire organization

$1,800 - Riverwalk Includes 1 in-person registration or 3 virtual attendees

$500 VOICE Champion Sponsor the travel of our Youth Advocates

ACRC EXHIBITOR REGISTRATION

Includes 1 conference registration, 1 in-person table 

& participation in exhibitor bingo

$1,100 for Exhibitors that are ACRC Agency Members

$1,350 for Exhibitors that are non-member, non-profit, 501c3

$1,600 for Exhibitors that are non-members

$400 Additional Exhibitor fee per person for individuals NOT attending sessions. 

Rates increase $200 after February 2, 2026 (Early Bird Cutoff)