World Forum 2006: Future Directions in Child Welfare

Summary: The conference programme is being developed around the overarching theme of preventing and addressing child maltreatment.

World Forum 2006

This international conference will explore and share knowledge, information and data on promising practices and innovative approaches to prevention and response to child abuse and neglect.

New trends and developments in child welfare practice, research and networking will be emphasised. The presentations will highlight practical and innovative solutions, cutting-edge research and evidence-based practice.

Presenters of discussion papers and delegates from all parts of the globe will participate in this important event.

Worldforum 2006 is sponsored by the British Columbia Ministry of Children and Family Development, the International Forum for Child Welfare (IFCW), Alberta Children's Services and the Child Welfare League of Canada (CWLC).

Call for papers (20 February - 15 April)

The conference programme is being developed around the overarching theme of preventing and addressing child maltreatment. The World Health Organisation's World report on violence and health documents the sad reality that abuse, exploitation and neglect of children are global phenomena. Worldforum 2006 will provide a valuable opportunity to focus prevention efforts, enhance interventions, highlight promising and best practices, report on innovative approaches, exchange knowledge, and generate initiatives to combat child maltreatment in all its forms. Child abuse and neglect are closely tied to a range of issues and concerns that will be addressed within the conference programme, including, but not limited to: social isolation; family functioning; children's rights; cultural competence; poverty; and other forms of violence against children. Presentations addressing Aboriginal approaches to the above are encouraged.

Key themes to be explored within the range of programme, policy and research responses to child abuse and neglect include:

• Evidence-based approaches Exploring approaches to child welfare practice, programme and policy development that are evidence-based.
• Service innovation Providing differential approaches to improve planning for child safety and responding to the complex needs of families; promoting family group conferencing; family mediation and healing circles.
• Strength-based approaches Enhancing existing strengths and resilience of those children and youth receiving services in order to effectively promote their optimal development (eg, psycho-social, health, education) and transition to adulthood.
• Community engagement Working with decision-makers and organisations to develop and deliver services within a consolidated, coherent, community-based system that promotes child, youth, family and community capacities.
• Cultural competence Highlighting promising practices and innovative approaches that value and express the importance of culture and diversity at all levels of the service continuum, ie, policy, governance, administration, service provision, and consumer/client, with particular reference to Aboriginal approaches.
• Quality assurance and accountability frameworks Ensuring the development of standards, quality assurance and accreditation models to promote optimal outcomes for children, youth and families and effective use of public resources.

A new wave of dynamic innovation within child welfare brings the influence of evidence-based approaches to the development of policy, programmes and practices. To measure and scientifically evaluate holds considerable promise in improving life opportunities for vulnerable children, youth and families.

Submission deadline: 15 April 2006