At a Glance
A three-day journey
Together for Families is designed as an intentional journey from understanding what families are carrying to identifying what communities and systems must build in response. Throughout all three days, participants can also follow the conference's three tracks.
Why change is urgent
We begin with the realities families are navigating and the systems that too often ask them to carry complex challenges alone, and how Family Resource Centers can be a place families turn for relationships, resources, navigation, and connection before crisis.
What helps families thrive
We move from adversity to possibility, examining what developmental science, family and community wisdom, positive experiences, quality practice, and emerging evidence tell us about the conditions that help children, adults, and communities thrive.
What we must build next
We look forward, asking how we protect human connection and build the workforce, policies, evidence, funding, technology, partnerships, and community infrastructure needed to make high-quality Family Support available to every family.
Featured national conversations establish a shared frame. Workshops and Bright Spots translate ideas into practice. Participatory discussions and the closing session help attendees identify what they can carry forward into their own organizations, communities, and systems.
Day One · Why Change Is Urgent
Opening Plenary
From Adversity to Possibility
The Catalytic Drivers of Primary Prevention
Primary prevention is more than intervening earlier. It requires positive experiences, nurturing relationships, trusted community supports, strong practice, aligned systems, and the conditions that help families flourish.
Together, they will explore how positive childhood experiences, early relational health, lived experience, community-rooted support, and public-system transformation can work together as a national primary prevention strategy.
Featured Bright Spots Round 1 · 2:15–3:30pm ET
From Grassroots to Comprehensive
Building and Sustaining a Multigenerational, Community-Rooted Family Support Center.
Dr. Barbara Palmer, Kingdom Kare
Keeping Families Rooted
Housing Innovation Designed With Families, Not For Them.
Cheri Williams, Alisa Otto, and LaTanya Bennett, Imagination Factory
Navigating Your Funding Efforts with the Community Opportunity Map
Lucas Gerber, Casey Family Programs
Tecoria Jones, Be Strong Families
Day Two · What Helps Families Thrive
Day Two is grounded in real-world examples, Bright Spots, implementation, and the systems conditions that allow strong Family Support to take root.
Featured Conversation
Beyond Better Programs
The Conditions Required for Lasting Systems Change
Meaningful systems change requires more than creating effective programs or launching promising initiatives. It requires changing how decisions are made, how power is shared, how resources are invested, and how communities and institutions are held accountable.
National leaders will explore the conditions that make lasting transformation possible, including community authority, aligned leadership, supportive policy, sustainable financing, shared data and learning, and the capacity to move effective community-rooted approaches from isolated success into lasting infrastructure for families.
Featuring national leaders in primary prevention, family well-being, and systems transformation. Additional details will be announced soon.
Featured Bright Spots Round 2 · 11:00am–12:15pm ET
Mending the Gaps
Operationalizing Trust and Flex Funding to Build Neighborhood Stability.
Adrienne B. Elder and Jonah Johnson, RestoreOKC
Addressing Family Housing Instability and Homelessness
Data, Strategies and Opportunities.
Leah Lindstrom Rhea, CSH
Kristy Piescher, University of Minnesota
Samantha Goldman, Bianca Stewart, and Peter Goldstein, Scott County Human Services
Reimagining Prevention
Kiersten Sutton, Prevent Child Abuse America
Ronald Brown, Families Forward Virginia
Cassandra Calender-Ray, Virginia One Church, One Child
Erin Watson, Weaving Change
Day Three · What We Must Build Next
Featured Day Three Plenary
One Big Doable Thing!
Advancing Flourishing Through Relationship-Centered Practices and Systems Change
Dr. Christina Bethell · Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health · Director, Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative
A future-facing conversation about what becomes possible when relationships, flourishing, family and community leadership, and systems change are treated as essential infrastructure for child and family well-being.
Closing Conversation
The Future Families Need
A Call to Build the Systems and Supports That Help Families Flourish
What would it take to build a future in which every family can access meaningful support, strong relationships, and opportunities to flourish, long before challenges become crises?
In this intimate conversation, national leaders will explore why reaching families early, strengthening relational health and connections, and investing in primary prevention are essential to family and community well-being. Together, they will consider what must change across policy, practice, funding, and infrastructure to build a more connected, preventive, and family-centered system of support.
An intimate conversation between nationally recognized leaders in primary prevention and child and family well-being. Featured speakers will be announced soon.
Pre-conference learning opportunities
From Under the Radar to All the Rage
Family Resource Centers & FRC Networks. Access on demand →
Supporting Families Through Best Practice
An overview of the Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening & Support. Access on demand →
Standards of Quality Certification Training
Register by October 6. Learn more →
Full agenda
All times Eastern. Zoom rooms open 10:30am ET each day for check-in and networking.
Tuesday, October 20
Day 1| 10:30am ET | Zoom Room Opens: Check-In & Networking |
| 11:20am–12:20pm ET | Opening Conversation: From Adversity to PossibilityThe Catalytic Drivers of Primary Prevention · other time zones |
| 12:20–12:45pm ET | Break |
| 12:45–2:00pm ET | Concurrent Sessions |
| 2:00–2:15pm ET | Break |
| 2:15–3:30pm ET | Bright Spot Deep Dives, Round 1 |
| 3:30–3:45pm ET | Break |
| 3:45–5:00pm ET | Concurrent Sessions |
Wednesday, October 21
Day 2| 10:30am ET | Zoom Room Opens · other time zones |
| 11:00am–12:15pm ET | Bright Spot Deep Dives, Round 2 |
| 12:15–1:00pm ET | Break |
| 1:00–2:15pm ET | Concurrent Sessions |
| 2:15–2:45pm ET | Break |
| 2:45–3:45pm ET | Featured Conversation: Beyond Better ProgramsThe Conditions Required for Lasting Systems Change |
| 3:45–5:00pm ET | Concurrent Sessions |
Thursday, October 22
Day 3| 10:30am ET | Zoom Room Opens · other time zones |
| 11:00am–12:00pm ET | Plenary: One Big Doable Thing!Advancing Flourishing Through Relationship-Centered Practices and Systems Change |
| 12:00–12:30pm ET | Break |
| 12:30–1:45pm ET | Concurrent Sessions · other time zones |
| 1:45–2:15pm ET | Break |
| 2:15–3:30pm ET | Concurrent Sessions |
| 3:30–3:45pm ET | Break |
| 3:45–4:45pm ET | Closing Featured Conversation: The Future Families NeedA Call to Build the Systems and Supports That Help Families Flourish · other time zones |
| 4:45–5:00pm ET | Conference Closing and Call to Action |
Ready to join us?
Reserve your spot for October 20–22, 2026.