Nova Scotia to Host Child Welfare Forum

Some of the world's top child welfare experts will be in Halifax to discuss how to improve the lives of children in Atlantic Canada.

They are part of the first Atlantic Canada Child Welfare Forum on Wednesday, May 2, and Thursday, May 3. The forum is a partnership between the government of Nova Scotia, the Child Welfare League of Canada and the Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare.

"This forum's focus -- improving outcomes for children through collaboration and integration of services -- is timely," said Judy Streatch, Minister of Community Services. "Government is working on a child and youth strategy with this same focus in mind and the ultimate goal of making our children's lives better."

The forum will bring together those behind child welfare policy and social workers on the front lines who work within the policies. The focus is on how collaboration and integration of services between government departments and community-based agencies can better meet the needs of Atlantic Canadian children.

Distinguished speakers and in-depth discussions will highlight the two-day event. Invited speakers include:

• Susan Bissell, senior project officer at Innocenti Research Centre, UNICEF's International Research Centre in Florence, Italy. She is a specialist in the fields of children's rights, child labour, trafficking, children in armed conflict, juvenile justice, and a range of other protection concerns;

• Margaret Norrie McCain is a founding member of the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Foundation in New Brunswick. Their mission is the elimination of family violence through public education and research.

• Diana English, director of research and development for the Child Welfare League of America. Ms. English has participated in numerous international, national, and state child welfare related commissions, committees, and conferences, and published over 80 articles on child welfare issues; and

• Michael Ungar, who has worked directly with children and adults in child welfare, mental health, educational, and correctional settings. Mr. Ungar maintains a family therapy practice in association with Phoenix Youth Programs, a prevention program for street youth and their families.

More information is available at the Child Welfare League of Canada's website at www.cwlc.ca .