Conference to educate people about adopted, foster children to be held April 15 at The Crossing

QUINCY — The Department of Health and Human services reports an estimated 90 percent of all foster children are exposed to trauma, and one in four foster children shows symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Three foster agencies are coming together to educate foster parents and anyone who works with foster children about trauma through the annual Hope for the Journey conference.

Coyote Hill of Hannibal, Connect Child and Family of Quincy and CARE from Hancock County will bring the nationwide, full-day simulcast conference to The Crossing in Quincy from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 15.

Last year’s conference took place at The Crossing in Hannibal and was organized by Coyote Hill, a licensing and support services agency for foster families. Child care, a light breakfast, snacks and lunch will be provided.

Brittany McCaskey, area coordinator at Coyote Hill, hopes for a larger crowd this year now that three agencies are involved.

The conference teaches Trust-Based Relational Intervention, a care model designed to help meet relational and developmental needs of children and youths affected by trauma. TBRI provides parents and caregivers with resources to help children reach full potential based on the whole child, considering their brain, biology, behavior, body and beliefs. That connection builds trust, and trust builds healthy relationships. 

Dr. Karyn Purvis and David Cross from the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development at Texas Christian University developed TBRI.

McCaskey said the conference is great for anyone who cares for or works with adopted children, foster children or anyone close to foster or adoption families.

This year, the state of Missouri also approved the conference material as professional development hours for teachers.

Tickets for the conference are $25 per person. They should be purchased by April 7.

For more information on the conference or to buy tickets visit https://coyotehill.org/hannibal/hftj-hannibal/?fbclid=IwAR0Kra_rCFgIz6n2681cVAS6PsPOiqJu97M0FmPv5xy4DPfKZ_KpdaP8WjQ.