The National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect is known for its inclusive scope and ability to attract participants, which includes professionals, researchers, policy makers, parents, youth with lived experience, volunteers representing a wide variety of disciplines, and community-based providers. It provides a unique opportunity for those who are committed to achieving better outcomes for children, youth, and families to come together, gain new knowledge, connect with peers, build shared understanding, and inspire each other’s continued dedication to children and families.

The 24th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) will be held April 1–3, 2025, at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Rockville, Maryland.

Explore how to better support kinship care providers, including addressing barriers to licensing, building a support system that goes beyond navigation, supporting informal care providers, and managing complex family relationships within the context of kinship care.

Learn about new or innovative approaches or strategies to our work in child welfare. Specific topics include culturally responsive services, engaging fathers and paternal kin, peer recovery, court performance measures, and human trafficking.

Hear about prevention activities that are open to anyone in the community and aim to support families before any allegations of abuse and neglect arise, including building resilient communities, centering parent voice, economic supports, and mandated reporting.

Engage in sessions focused on permanency, legal advocacy, family preservation, and supporting families that have one or more risk factors for child maltreatment, including families impacted by substance use disorder and/or domestic violence.

Learn about what others are doing to engage communities and parents and youth with lived experience in planning for child welfare services and systems reform.

Explore strategies focused on the well-being of the child welfare workforce, including workplace and organizational culture; recruitment and retention; understanding trends in the workforce; and engaging non-traditional workforce members, including those with lived experience.

Explore new strategies to ensure that all youth leave care with the relationships, supports, and opportunities necessary to succeed in life. This will include the importance of youth voice in decision-making; mental health and well-being; strategies for relational permanence; and supports during transition.