Call for Presentations for NICWA’s 43rd Annual Protecting Our Children Conference Now Open

Presenters at NICWA’s 43rd Annual Protecting Our Children Conference are the heart and soul of this annual event, recognized as the premiere national gathering dedicated to tribal child welfare and well-being. This year’s conference will be held on March 30–April 2, 2025. This year, we will host more than seventy 90-minute presentations, which are selected to lead vigorous dialogue about best practices, current research, advocacy efforts, policy implications, and other lessons learned with over 1,600 conference attendees.

Call for Presentations closes November 1, 2024.

About the Workshops

The highly competitive selection process aims to select presenters who represent an expertise and mastery of innovative and effective developments in these key areas:

• Children’s Mental Health
• Child Welfare, Foster Care, and Adoption Services
• Judicial and Legal Affairs
• Youth and Family Involvement

Conference Theme: Honoring the Sacred

The theme “Honoring the Sacred” reflects the value Indigenous peoples have placed on their children, families, and traditions for generations. To regard something as “sacred” shows respect and is characterized as something we hold close to our hearts, something to be protected and sheltered. Honoring the sacred is acknowledging and respecting the interconnectedness of relationships between all elements in our world. Each year, we witness the thousands of dedicated tribal and state professionals and passionate advocates who devote their lives to protecting tribal communities and their sacred citizens. This unified effort is manifested in our constant advocacy to preserve children’s connections to family, community, and a healthy and secure cultural identity.

The Indian Child Welfare Act gives American Indian and Alaska Native children in state systems the opportunity to maintain those sacred connections to their family and community where possible, mirroring the values of our traditional cultures. ICWA 2050 is a unifying national framework for a future where tribal child welfare programs and services are strengthened and the protections of ICWA are secured for generations to come. It is a uniting vision for the well-being of Native children spanning decades and sectors. ICWA 2050 is our commitment to a future where Native children are woven into the fabric of our cultures with care and intention, protecting the sacred. It is a generation of work to change the trajectory of generations of Native children.

NICWA is excited to welcome you to our conference, where we will share best practices and innovative approaches to ensuring the safety, dignity, and respect of every individual we have the honor and privilege of serving. We will network with one another, sharing our experiences, stories, and cultural values as we gain tools to better serve and honor our sacred today and for seven generations to come.

Registration Requirement

All presenters of selected workshops are required to register for the conference. NICWA offers a reduced registration rate for up to three presenters per workshop. You may register at the presenter rate once your workshop has been accepted. Additional presenters must register at the prevailing rate. By submitting a proposal, presenters agree to pay registration.

The richness of our conference is a direct reflection of the diversity of presenters who come to share their experience and contributions to the field. NICWA truly values a wide representation of presenters from varied backgrounds and communities.