Welcome everyone once again to the Race Matters Teleconference Series for the Spring of 2009. We have a great deal of information in our five teleconference calls on recent events, research, data and advances in the field of racial disproportionality and disparities in child welfare and the development of racial equity in child welfare systems throughout the country.

Day and Dates:  1st and 3rd Tuesday      2/17/09-5/19/2009
Time:  11am Central, Noon Eastern, 10 am Mountain, 9am Pacific Time
Length of calls :  60 minutes

NEW NUMBER Call-In Number:  866-910-4857, Passcode 871317#

Spring 2009 Presentations

1. February 17, 2009
   Reunification in Illinois
   
   Illinois has been working on numerous efforts to support and strengthen reunification efforts.
   
   Terry Solomon, Executive Director of the Illinois African American Family Commission, will present to us the direction of the efforts, accomplishments to date, and challenges along the way.
   
   
2. March 3, 2009
   Immigration and Child Welfare
   
   Addressing issues of racial disproportionality and disparities is a complex effort. For the Latino population, issues of immigration bring unique challenges to the table. Jorge Cabrera, Senior Director for the San Diego Field Office of Casey Family Programs, will share with us efforts to achieve racial equity for Latinos, achievements and challenges.
   
   
3. April 7, 2009
   The Overrepresentation of Children of Color in America's Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems
   
   Efforts to address Racial Disproportionality and Disparities have been going on simultaneously in Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice. In a call in December of 2008, Shay Bilchik, Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute, spoke to us with others about some of the similarities and differences across these two systems.
   
   On April 7, 2009, Shay will go into more depth on issues related specifically to cross over work related to the achievement across these two systems. Beginning with a summary of a unique covening held in March of 2008, the Georgetown Public Policy Institute has developed a broader paper examining how far we have come, and providing some suggestions on how we can move forward most effectively.
   
   
4. April 21, 2009
   Knowing Who You Are
   
   Knowing Who You Are is a program designed by Casey Family Programs for professionals to assist youth in the development of their racial and ethnic identities
   
   On April 21, 2009, Ernie Cathcart, Manager of Clinical Diversity Practice at Casey Family Programs will present the history behind the development of the project, the context for learning, learning tools, the ways in which the program has been used to date and the impact use of this tool can have on youth in care as well as the professionals that serve them.
   
   
5. May 5, 2009
   Cross Systems Efforts to address racial disproportionality and disparities in the Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice systems in Polk County, Iowa
   
   Presented by Brad Richardson, Research Director, DMC Coordinator and Associate Professor of the University of Iowa
   
   
6. May 19, 2009
   Fall 2009 Planning Teleconference
   
   If you would like to help us plan for the Fall 2009 teleconference series, please feel free to join us, or send your ideas on to us for discussion during this call.