Upcoming conference aims to educate community on child abuse prevention

The Community Collaboration for Children (CCC) Jefferson Network for Child Safety will hold its annual conference next month to help raise awareness about child abuse and neglect prevention. “It Takes a Village: Keeping Kids Safe in Our Community” will take place March 13-14 at Jefferson Community and Technical College. The conference helps to kick off National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, which encourages communities to promote prevention across the country.

The free event is an educational opportunity for social workers, counselors, teachers, law enforcement personnel, parents, foster parents and others who work closely with children. It offers workshops on a variety of topics, such as internet safety, the role of play in strengthening families, adolescent substance abuse, positive discipline strategies, human trafficking and more. Keynote speakers include Dr. Eddie Woods, CEO of LIFE Hope Center, Inc., and Keith Inman, President of Kosair Charities. The CCC hopes the event will help to educate the community about how we can best work together to keep children safe. Rhonda Mathies, a parent partner of the CCC Network, says that she is excited about this conference “because it enhances the knowledge, resources available, and touches lives for families we work with. Those families then share what they’ve learned with families they are connected to. We’re looking for positive outcomes, saving lives and building community.”

Anyone interested can register for free by going to http://conta.cc/2EqWAT9. Free breakfast and lunch will also be provided.