Daily News

Treehouse Foundation to Hold Conference to Re-envision Foster Care in America

EASTHAMPTON — Social entrepreneurs from across the nation will gather to share their award-winning strategies at the Treehouse Foundation’s Re-envisioning Foster Care in America (REFCA) Conference this year with the goal of inspiring others to replicate and design new effective solutions in Massachusetts and beyond.

This year, the REFCA Conference, called Foster Care Innovators, will be held at Brandeis University Heller School of Social Work on Saturday, Nov. 2. The purpose of the conference is to change the foster-care narrative in America by highlighting innovative approaches and models that are making a difference in the lives of children and youth in foster care. With more than 10,000 children in foster care in Massachusetts, 40% of whom live in Western Mass., one innovative response is to link older adults and families adopting children from foster care in a planned, intergenerational neighborhood.

Treehouse launched its Treehouse Community in Easthampton 13 years ago, and will be replicating the community model to a new Boston site. There will be three keynote presentations and 24 workshops, with tracks focusing on youth-driven solutions, intergenerational solutions, and foster-care innovation.

Register online at www.treehousefoundation.net. Special rates are available for students, youth, who have experienced foster care, older adults, and Department of Children & Families workers.