10th Annual Monroe County Childhood Conditions Summit

Over the past decade, the Summit has been guided by the concept that ‘what surrounds us, shapes us.’ Children and youth are shaped by the relationships they are a part of, the neighborhoods they live in, the places they learn and play, and the policies and practices developed by the organizations and institutions with which their families interact.

The (CDC) developed a framework called Essentials for Childhood intended for communities committed to the positive development of children and families. When children have access to safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments (SSNREs) they are more likely to thrive - and thriving children are more likely to grow into thriving adults. What we do as a community and in the community affects those conditions.

This year, we are looking back at 10 years of exploring what shaped childhood conditions in Monroe County and reviewing what we have been able to improve through intentional work across sectors. We also are exploring practical strategies for moving forward: in the next 10 years, how can we work collectively at the interpersonal, organizational, community and policy level to create a resilient, empowered community where youth and families thrive?

With that in mind, this 10th Annual MC3 is an opportunity to celebrate our accomplishments as a community, and explore what we can learn and achieve outside of MC3. What partnerships do we need to build and maintain, what resources do we need to leverage, and what ideas do we need to put into practice in our community to make Monroe County the best place to be a child?

We look forward to seeing you in November, and imagining our collective impact in the next decade!

(note: some of the session title and descriptions have been slightly adjusted to fit within the word limits of Eventbrite)

Info: This presentation focuses on how geospatial information systems (GIS) can be utilized to provide tools to engage community members with new insights and data visualizations. We will cover accessing and understanding authoritative data sources, integrating these data into a GIS, analyzing data, and communicating findings to broad audiences. The presentation will showcase existing and planned GIS applications in Monroe County related to demographic data and quality of life metrics pulled from the American Community Survey. Once mapped, these tabular data provide insights into the spatial relationships that exist across our community.  

Info: The world has been a dangerous place for the last few years and our stress response systems have all been overloaded. This workshop will provide an overview of the neuroscience of the stress response system and introduce strategies that we can use to promote self-regulation and engagement for ourselves and the youth and families with whom we work.

Info: This course goes beyond the basics to explore the true scope and power of fire prevention. Participants will examine missing strategies, technologies, and community engagement methods that reduce fire risk long before the first spark. Through real-world case studies, interactive discussions, and practical exercises, learners will gain insight into how public education, and behavioral change work together to save lives and property. By the end of the course, participants will be equipped with the knowledge and tools to champion comprehensive fire prevention efforts that make lasting community impact.

Info: Join researcher and advocate Olivia Smith of the Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute for a deep dive into their recent policy campaign to establish a child tax credit in Indiana. Learn how they used legislative advocacy to get the new bill passed through the full Senate and how fiscal considerations and navigating the state’s budget process informed and guided their campaign. This presentation will leave participants equipped with new strategies and insights on how to advance financial supports for families like child tax credits and paid family leave, as well as a deeper understanding of Indiana’s budget process.

Info: What organizational collaborations enable collective action? We have all spent time in meetings where we share information but struggle to act on our potential partnerships. If thriving communities cannot be built in isolation, how can we effectively collaborate across sectors? At the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV), we know that to prevent violence and enable community health, we must come together to confront the shared risks and build the protective factors that address multiple social problems. In this session, participants will engage in a hands-on activity exploring the mutual work required to improve childhood conditions in Indiana. We’ll share a successful multi-sectoral collaboration between ICADV and the Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute, and work with participants to identify opportunities to act across sectors.

Info: Conflict can be overwhelming, leading us to act in ways that wreak havoc when stakes and emotions are high. While we may not be able to control the people and situations in our lives that challenge us, we can learn how to have choice with how we respond to what we can't control. Conflict mixed with accountability co-creates possibility (instead of combat), empowered transformation, and strengthened relationships.
How can we connect with conflict in ways that are non-punitive, while also empower and strengthen our relationships? Through a four-step-by-step practical de-escalation process rooted in trauma informed processes and practices, participants will learn that while conflict and discomfort may be messy, neither are inherently dangerous! Conflict and discomfort are a normal part of life, and can be utilized in ways to bring us deeper into empowered relationships with self, one another and life.

Info: Big behaviors often signal big needs. This session explores how understanding and responding to challenging behaviors through a lens of emotional development, culture, and community connection can empower both children and the adults who support them. Through real-life examples, evidence-based strategies, and reflective practices, participants will explore how emotionally responsive classrooms create a foundation for resilience, learning, and community well-being.

Info: Join us to learn about the principles and tools of the Charting the LifeCourse (CtLC) program. CtLC tools are person-centered and designed to be user friendly, giving anyone at any age the tools they need to plan for their best lives. Explore how to use these tools to help you live your good life and consider how you might to effectively plan and implement the principles of disability justice and accessibility in the workplace to expand the impact of CtLC on a wider scale.

Info: This presentation will explore the reality that economic hardship and family instability are often at the core of DCS intervention. Financial insecurity, inadequate housing, and lack of access to basic resources increase parental stress and can impair the ability to meet children’s needs. These conditions are too often mischaracterized as neglect when they are more accurately symptoms of poverty. The Indiana DCS has recognized this connection by implementing policies that provide assistance to parents with open cases, including referrals for housing support, employment services, and financial counseling. This presentation examines the relationship between poverty, family stability, and mental health, highlighting how families with DCS involvement can utilize DCS policies as meaningful tools for advocacy. Ensuring lasting family well-being requires more than service compliance—it requires addressing the economic foundations that allow families to remain safe and stable.

Info: This interactive workshop explores how the conditions in which children grow shape their success as readers. These include access to books and diverse materials, supportive mentors, engaged caregivers, cultural leaders who share stories, and positive environments in schools, libraries and after-school programs. Using storytelling as an entry point, participants will explore practical ways to connect cultural traditions with key reading skills like recognizing sounds, connecting sounds to letters, reading with accuracy and ease, building word knowledge and understanding meaning. We will design simple and adaptable activities for classrooms and other youth-serving spaces. The focus is on making literacy instruction engaging and relevant to children’s lived experiences. Attendees will leave with strategies highlighting how supportive conditions across families, schools, communities and peer networks help all children thrive in literacy and beyond.

Host or Publisher Youth Services Bureau of Monroe County, with support from BTCC