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(Portland, Ore., April 5, 2021)—The National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) received a $25,000 host sponsor-ship from the Seminole Tribe of Florida for this year’s 39th Annual Protecting Our Children Conference, to be held virtually for the second year in a row, with over 1,400 attendees expected.

This extraordinary sponsorship will help NICWA bring a wide range of keynote speakers, workshop presenters, and peer learning opportunities for child welfare workers, tribal leaders, and advocates from across the U.S. and Canada to the premiere national event addressing tribal child welfare and the well-being of Native children.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida is a long-standing supporter of NICWA and its mission of strengthening the well-being of American Indian and Alaska Native children, families, and communities. Collaboration and cooperation between tribal leaders, like the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and child welfare workers help to increase access to community-based services that help Native children grow up safe, healthy, and spiritually strong. The Protecting Our Children Conference is an important gathering for tribal leaders and frontline workers from across the country.

NICWA Executive Director Sarah Kastelic noted, “I am honored by the continued generosity of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. In 2006, the Tribe became a tribal member of NICWA and has grown as the Tribe has become one of our strongest contributors as Host Sponsor. It is the support of sponsors that makes NICWA’s annual conference possible. Our conference theme this year is “Connectedness, Resilience, and Persistence,” a celebration of the resourcefulness and strength of our communities in the face of the pandemic.”

“Seminole Tribe of Florida is proud to sponsor the 39th Annual Protecting Our Children Conference. Our Tribal Family and Child Advocates work with NICWA and other partners for better outcomes for Seminole families. The Seminole Tribe of Florida firmly believes that Native American families require a Native American perspective and understanding,” said Shamika Beasley, Ed. S., Advocacy Administrator, Seminole Tribe of Florida.

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About the National Indian Child Welfare Association
The National Indian Child Welfare Association works to support the safety, health, and spiritual strength of Native children along the broad continuum of their lives. NICWA promotes building tribal capacity to prevent child abuse and neglect through positive systems change at the state, federal, and tribal level. For more information, visit www.nicwa.org.

About the Seminole Tribe of Florida
The Seminole Tribe of Florida is headquartered in Hollywood, Florida. It is a federally recognized sovereign government with an elected Tribal Council. Governmental expenditures are earmarked for police and fire protection, emergency medical services, education, health care, housing, water treatment, economic development, and parks and recreation.
https://www.semtribe.com/