Day 1 of our conference will feature a general session by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) covering California’s new Permanent Foster Care Rate Structure. Starting July 2025, a key part of this rate structure will take effect, requiring the use of standardized high-fidelity Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment for all youth and non-minor dependents (NMDs) in foster care. This important CANS update will be explored in depth during a breakout session later that day; some other breakout session topics to be featured at our conference include: 

• Strategies to achieve permanency
• Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA)
• Wraparound services as a prevention and aftercare program
• Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC)