Annual Conference 2021

Opening Remarks – IYAB Leadership and Terry Stigdon, Director, Indiana DCS📌

Breakout Session 1 💥

Defining Our Future: Understanding Finances while in Foster Care
Jacey Stuckey

Feeling uncertain about managing your money? Spend this session with Investment Analyst and Foster Care Alum, Jacey Stuckey, and hear the recommendations she has for managing finances. Learn financial management strategies to help define the future you see for yourself!

Defining our Future: Transitioning out of Residential Services

Dejuna Rodriguez, Amber Zitani, Stephaney Knight, Rimy Morris

What does the future hold after aging out of a residential treatment center? Talk with our panelists of Foster Care Alumni with lived experience within residential treatment centers, discuss positive ways of advocating for yourself, resources and life skills you’ll need when aging out, and re-entry into foster care or services. Youth attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with the panelist.

Defining our Future: Going to College after Foster Care

Jada Cuttriss

I made it college! Now what? Hear Foster Care Alum and recent college graduate, Jada Cuttriss, talk about her journey from high school graduation to college graduation and how she defined her future. Jada will offer information on resources and lessons she’s learned over the past four years that are vital for any youth transitioning from foster care to college.

Breakout Session 2 💥

Defining Our Future: NYTD: Data about Us, For Us!
NYTD Ambassadors/ Pink Leaf

What is the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD)? And why do I need to take a NYTD survey? Join this session to learn everything NYTD! Hear Pink Leaf’s NYTD Youth Engagement Program Coordinator, Jennifer Cavalcanti, and the NYTD Ambassadors discuss why you may be asked to take a NYTD Survey, what happens with your survey data, and how this data is used to impact and define the future of the child welfare system.

The New Normal: Using Your Voice and Why it Matters

Nasha Haralson

Your voice matters! Join Foster Care Alum, Nasha Haralson, to understand what it means when others encourage you to use your voice. Learn how Nasha created a new normal for herself and found her voice. Learn how you can effectively use your voice to help yourself, help others, and impact the Indiana and United States Foster Care System!

The New Normal: Overcoming the Stigma of Foster Care

Tashia Roberson-Wing

Define what being in foster care means to you! Join Foster Care Alum, Tashia Roberson-Wing, as she shares her experience in self discovery and no longer being defined as a “foster kid”. Learn how to create a new normal for yourself and discover who you are outside of outside of DCS, service providers, IYAB, or other child welfare related entities.

Lunch 🍲 🥗 🍕

Nom nom! 🤤

Breakout Session 3 💥

The New Normal: Racial Justice, Equity, and Inclusion and the future of Foster Care
Rimy Morris

Have an open and REAL conversation with Foster Care Alum, Rimy Morris, about ways you can promote racial justice, equity, and inclusion within the Indiana Foster Care System. Gain an understanding of systemic racism within the child welfare system and steps we can take to do better! Learn what is currently being done within our state to ensure racial justice, equity, and inclusion of ALL will become the new normal within the Indiana child welfare system.

The New Normal: Parenting Through a Pandemic

Jasmine Woods, Kyleigh Billingsley, Angela Christianson

Join a panel of Foster Care Alum as they talk about what their experiences in parenting through a pandemic! Hear what they’ve learned about their children, their parenting styles, and themselves. These Alumni talk about how their lived experience in foster care helped them shift and adapt to a new normal filled with uncertainty and unpredictability.

Defining Our Future: Strategic Sharing

Kyra Campbell

Interested in telling your story to help educate and influence others about the foster care system? Foster Care Alum, Kyra Campbell, will be teaching us about Strategic Sharing, which can help you to share your story in a way that is meaningful, effective, and safe. Define the future by strategically sharing your story to help influence policies and practices you support!

Keynote: Ángela Quijada-Banks 🎤

Awards Ceremony 🏆

Closing Remarks 👋🏾

Statewide IYAB Meeting

All Youth Engagement Programs