Pre-institute Workshop Descriptions  
Please note that the pre-institute is limited to 150 participants.

GENERAL SESSION I: Is Foster Care: The Solution or the Problem for Young Children Who Are Abandoned or Maltreated?
If we are to believe media reports, foster care as an intervention may be worse than the problem it was intended to address. Many have called for reforms, ranging from intensive family preservation efforts to institutions for young children. This presentation begins by reviewing the state of foster care in this country. Then, the history of child welfare efforts during the past 300 years in the United States will be reviewed. Data pertaining to comparisons of foster care to institutional care and foster care to family preservation will also be included. Two latent models of foster care are derived from this discussion. The presentation will conclude with recommendations for what is in the best interest of young children.
Charles H. Zeanah, Jr., M.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans

GENERAL SESSION II: A Vision for the Future: Where are we and where do we go from here?  
This session will discuss future directions and a vision for services provided through the state�s largest child welfare provider.   Specific emphasis will be placed on policy directions and indicatives that will support young children in Foster care, as well as, other programs that serve young children and families.  A portion of the session will be devoted to informal dialog with Mr. Berns and provide an opportunity for participants to ask questions.
David A. Berns, MSW, Director, Arizona Department of Economic Security, Phoenix

WORKSHOP I: Putting Humpty Together Again: Helping Infants and Toddlers in Foster Care
The period of adjustment following a placement in foster care, or a move in placements, offers a unique opportunity to use a period of high risk to help an infant or toddler create a new paradigm of relationships, especially following abuse or neglect.  By understanding what a young child truly needs in this phase, caregivers and therapists can change the developmental trajectory for children in foster care or adoption.   By use of video clips, participants will develop a deeper understanding of how an infant expresses loss and grief as well.
Julie M. Ribaudo, A.C.S.W., Infant Mental Health Specialist, Interdisciplinary Center for the Family, West Bloomfield, Michigan

WORKSHOP II: Assessment of Young Children Entering Foster Care
This program will describe the essential domains of assessment of young children in the foster care system, focusing on assessment of infant mental health. We will discuss the basic components of infant mental health, the importance of relationships to infant well being, and some practical tools for assessment.
Patricia Van Horn, Ph.D., Assistant Clinical Professor, University of California, San Francisco, Child Trauma Research Project