2025 Annual Convening
DECEMBER 8-10, 2025
SPARC Members will learn about upcoming policy and advocacy opportunities; embrace the unique and powerful role that state advocates can play in making change; and refine messages and advocacy strategies to shape their work in 2026.
Agenda
We will host a Monday evening reception at the Annie E. Casey Foundation Headquarters at 701 St. Paul Street.
All Tuesday and Wednesday sessions will be held at the Annie E. Casey Foundation Office at 503 N. Charles Street. Optional pre- and post- convening workshops will also be held at the Foundation Office at 503 N. Charles Street.
Annie E. Casey Foundation Office
503 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 547-6600
Annie E. Casey Foundation Headquarters
701 St. Paul Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
(410) 547-6600
Hotel Indigo
24 West Franklin Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 625-6200
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM ET
Effective Messages and Political Narratives: Strategies for Progress in Prevention in State Policy
Over the last decade, we have seen tremendous growth in policy and practice efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect, as well as prevent entries into foster care. As we continue to advocate for policies that will support families so children can safely remain at home, we are constantly challenged to provide clear messages around what prevention is, why it is an essential investment, and how it directly connects to issues of child safety.
During this session, SPARC members will work with experts from Frameworks and the Child Welfare Wonk to understand and apply effective messaging strategies and the underlying political narratives around prevention.
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM ET
Welcome Reception
Join us at the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Headquarters (701 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, MD 21202) to kick off the convening. During this time together, we will celebrate the tremendous work of the past year while we connect (and reconnect!) with advocates from across the country. Todd Lloyd from the Annie E. Casey Foundation will welcome us to the convening and leadership council member Robin Rosenberg from Florida’s Children First will share reflections on the unique role of state advocacy in the past year.
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM ET
Name Tag Pickup and Breakfast
Meet at Annie E. Casey’s Office (503 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201) to kick off the day with breakfast.
9:00 AM - 9:20 AM ET
Welcome
Our generous supporters from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Partnership for America’s Children will welcome us to the space and launch our work for the day.
9:20 AM - 10:45 AM ET
Fireside Chat with SPARC Members
Learn about opportunities on the horizon from our current SPARC members.
Facilitator:
Lesley Kelley, Senior Policy Analyst, Voices for Georgia’s Children
Panelists:
Aubrey Edwards-Luce, Executive Director, The Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts (MD)
Jay Paul Gumm, Director of Communications, Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy
Jenny Pokempner, Senior Policy Director, Youth Law Center (CA)
Sarah Lewis, Associate Director, Facing Foster Care in Alaska
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM ET
Areas of Focus for State Child Welfare Administrators
Meg Dygert, Senior Policy Associate for Child & Family Well-Being at the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), will share the top priorities for state child welfare administrators across the country.
11:45 AM - 12:30 PM ET
Child Welfare Vision and Priorities for the Administration for Children and Families
Assistant Secretary Alex Adams will share his vision and priorities for child welfare at the federal Administration for Children and Families.
12:30 PM - 1:15 PM ET
Lunch
Refuel for the afternoon and spend time connecting.
1:15 PM - 1:45 PM ET
Interactive Session on Member Priorities and Goals
Our state leadership council will lead us in a session showcasing the breadth of our work and priorities.
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM ET
State Solutions to Complex Issues: Discussions with Experts on Kinship Care, Family First Implementation, Supporting the Child Welfare Workforce, and Engaging Lived Experts in Advocacy
There are many problems that lack a simple solution or a clear blueprint for change. In this session, we will dive deep into four complex issues to understand the scope of the problem and how states and communities across the country are addressing these challenges. Through presentations from experts and time spent in small groups, we will learn about strategies that might work in our own states, share challenges, and identify needed resources for moving the field forward.
National experts:
Zach Laris, Bolder Horizon, Implementing Family First
Jaia Lent, Generations United, Supporting Kinship Caregivers
Kati Mapa, Child Welfare League of America, Supporting the Child Welfare Workforce
Angel Petite, FosterClub, Engaging Young People with Lived Experience in Policymaking
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM ET
Hotel Monaco, 2 North Charles Street, Baltimore MD 21201
Join us for a buffet dinner in Baltimore. We will have great food and excellent company! This will be a chance to continue conversations from the day and meet new SPARC members and national partners. We will also celebrate our leaders for their tremendous work this year. Shuttle service will be provided between the hotel and restaurant.
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM ET
Breakfast
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM ET
Welcome and Introducing our Online Community
SPARC is thrilled to launch a new online community that will allow members to connect in new ways, store meeting materials and other resources, and support working groups.
9:30 AM - 10:45 AM ET
Advocacy Tactics: Leveraging Data to Propel State Changes / Lessons from Pennsylvania and New Resources on the Horizon
Learn about successful strategies for sharing state-level child welfare data in advocacy and work with partners from the Child Welfare Advocacy Hub to shape their plans for 2026 data resources.
Panelists:
Rachael Miller, Policy Director at Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children
Todd Lloyd, Annie E. Casey Foundation
Hope Cooper, Child Welfare Advocacy Hub
Catherine LaBrenz, Child Welfare Research Center, The University of Texas at Arlington
10:45 AM - 11:00 AM ET
Break
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM ET
Advocacy Tactics: State Budget Outlook and Strategies for Advocacy
During this session we will dive deep into state budgets and budget advocacy strategy. We'll start with a landscape picture of state budgets for 2026 - including challenges and opportunities. Then panelists will discuss their strategies for successful budget advocacy.
Panelists:
Clara Wilson, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Crystal Charles, Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy (NY)
January Contreras, Children’s Action Alliance (AZ)
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM ET
Closing Reflections and Grab + Go Lunch
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET
Optional Post-Convening Session: Federal Congressional Outlook and Zoom Meet-and-Greet
Hope Cooper, a long-time partner to SPARC and the facilitator of the Child Welfare Advocacy Hub, will provide a two-part workshop to SPARC members who are interested in engaging in federal child welfare conversations. The first part is a closed conversation among advocates to learn about and discuss what is on the horizon in Congress in 2026, with an eye towards advocacy strategy. The second part is a Zoom meet-and-greet with key Congressional staffers, with a focus on hearing from them about Congressional priorities as Congress moves into 2026.
Hotel & Transportation
Hotel Indigo
24 West Franklin Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 625-6200
Franklin Street Garage
15 West Franklin Street
Baltimore, MD
Directions
The Hotel Indigo and the Franklin Street Parking Garage are both located on West Franklin Street in Baltimore, just one block from the Annie E. Casey Foundation Office at 503 N. Charles Street.
From BWI (approx. 13 mi/20 km): Take I-195 to 95 North. Then take 95 North to Exit 53 (Inner Harbor). Turn right on Pratt St and go about four blocks to turn left on Charles St. Head north and turn left on Franklin where the hotel will be on the right. The parking garage is on the left.
From Baltimore Penn Station Amtrak (approx. 0.8 mi/1.29 km): Head south on N. Charles Street about 8 blocks. The Annie E. Casey Foundation building will be on the left. Turn right onto E. Franklin Street, and the hotel will be on the right.
Hotel Information
The Hotel's check-in time is 4:00 PM and check-out time is 11:00AM. Guests are permitted to check in early or check out later subject to room availability. Baggage will be stored at no charge for early arrivals and late departures. At the time of check-in, each guest will be required to present a major credit card, on which Hotel may place a hold or process a prepayment in the amount of the guest's estimated charges.
Parking Information
Self-Parking is available in The Franklin Street Garage, which is situated near the historic Mount Vernon district of Baltimore and is close to many restaurants and bars. The garage entrance is located on the left-hand side of W Franklin St, just west of N Charles St, and is easily accessible off of I-83.
You will need to check in to the Annie E. Casey Foundation building at the reception desk.
For a comprehensive list of airport transportation options visit: http://www.bwiairport.com/en/travel/ground-transportation
Additional Information
About
The purpose of the 2025 SPARC Convening is to provide SPARC partners with the space to connect and network with each other and key stakeholders to build and deepen peer-to-peer relationships; the opportunity to hear from leading experts on topics that shape the child welfare landscape; and the chance to share information and strategies for achieving policy change that benefits children, youth, and families involved in child welfare.
Wi-Fi
Network: AECF – Guest
Password: jimcasey