Springfield College to Host Child and Family Welfare Conference on March 13

SPRINGFIELD — Edward Caisse III, unit director at the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office, will be the keynote speaker at the Fostering Equity and Inclusion for Latinas/os in Child and Family Welfare Conference on the Springfield College campus on Wednesday, March 13. The conference is the culmination of a year-long community awareness and development campaign led by Social Work Professor Miguel Arce, the 2023-24 Distinguished Springfield Professor of Humanics.

The goal of the conference is to facilitate public discussion and raise awareness about the crises that resilient families must overcome. The conference promotes the participation of all sectors of the broader community and seeks a sense of shared responsibility in the pursuit of better living conditions for all. Fostering inclusion and equity for Latina/o children and their families’ well-being is a call to action, and 37 workshops at the conference will address a variety of topics related to equity and inclusion in the local Latina/o community. The conference is open to the public and the Springfield College community, and registration is required.

This conference is approved for five category I credit hours for social workers by the Springfield College master of social work program, which is an authorizing body for granting continuing-education units for re-licensure of Massachusetts social workers.

Additionally, this conference is approved for seven professional development points (PDPs) for educators by the Springfield College Department of Educator Preparation and Licensure, an approved Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education professional-development (PD) provider. PD certificates will be provided to participants for a total of seven PDPs in Safe and Supportive Learning Environments that educators can use toward licensure renewal requirements.

For more information, a complete schedule, and to register, visit springfield.edu/fosteringequity.