| THRIVE SUMMIT OVERVIEW CASA Kane County welcomes you to a day focused on helping families thrive through early intervention and prevention. The conference will bring together parents, community members, service providers, educators, and advocates who all share a common goal: keeping children safe by strengthening families before crisis occurs.
Through a powerful keynote, practical workshop tracks, and meaningful community dialogue, the conference is designed to offer insight, tools and opportunities to connect with others who believe in the power of early support, strong relationships, and community in helping families thrive. |
| KEYNOTE Laura Adams, President and Founder of iCARE
Prevention Starts with Us: Building Strong Families Together Laura is a visionary educator, speaker, and systems-change advocate focused on strengthening how schools and communities support adoptive, foster, and kinship families. As Founder and President of iCARE4 Adoptive and Foster Families, she leads statewide and national efforts to equip educators, professionals, and community members with practical, healing-centered tools to build emotionally safe, supportive environments where children and families can thrive. |
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| GENERAL SESSION Ashley Ackerman, MSW, LSW, TBRI Practitioner, Metropolitan Family Services
Building Stronger Connections: An Introduction to Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention) is an attachment-based, trauma-informed caregiving model that supports children’s physical, emotional, and behavioral needs. Its core principles—connection, safety, sensitivity, and attuned caregiving—help build strong relationships and can benefit all children, enhancing parenting and caregiving across a variety of settings. |
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| Understanding Child Behavior; Supports, Services and Resources for Families Nicole Decker, BCBA
This presentation would provide an approachable, non-technical overview of behavior, why certain behaviors occur, and how evidence-based supports—such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)—can help children (and really those of any age) build important skills. The focus of the presentation would be on education, awareness, and access to information, rather than the promotion of services. |
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| Advocacy Starts at Home: Empowering Families in Early Care & Learning Simone Santiago, Raising Illinois Director
Families are central to shaping effective early childhood policies, yet their voices are often underrepresented in advocacy spaces. This workshop will explore the role of parents and caregivers as powerful advocates for young children and demonstrate how lived experience can inform and strengthen early childhood policy. Participants will gain a foundational understanding of early childhood advocacy, examine the current policy landscape, and identify meaningful pathways for family-led advocacy. |
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| RESOURCE FAIR The Resource Fair brings together a wide range of local organizations and service providers dedicated to supporting children, families, and caregivers. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect directly with community partners, learn about available resources, and discover tools and support that can strengthen families and promote well-being. |
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| OTHER INFO Lunch and refreshments will be served Childcare will be provided Free to attend Attendee focus is parents, families, community members, advocates, resource partners, educators |
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