The 24th annual Community Response to Child Abuse Conference is set to take place on October 3, 2024, at the Sioux Falls Convention Center in Pierre, South Dakota. This year, over 500 participants from 130 regional organizations, schools, and businesses are expected to attend.
The conference aims to provide training and educational opportunities for a wide range of professionals and community members. These include teachers, medical professionals, school officials, dentists, law enforcement officers, social workers, mental health providers, youth service providers, legal professionals, and child advocates. The event will feature national and regional speakers who will discuss topics designed to enhance understanding of child abuse and improve response efforts.
The event is hosted by the South Dakota Unified Judicial System’s Court Improvement Program in collaboration with Child’s Voice at Sanford Health and the Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment at the University of South Dakota. More information about the conference can be found on their website.
Keynote addresses will be delivered during the opening general session at 8 a.m. CDT on October 3 by Warren Binford in Convention Center Exhibit Hall 2. At 12:15 p.m., an Outstanding Service Award will be presented during lunch in the same venue.
Attendees are committed to preventing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which have significant long-term effects. Statistics show that adults with an ACE score of four or more are significantly more likely to have attempted suicide or consider themselves alcoholic. In South Dakota, approximately 21% of children report an ACE score of two or more. Additionally, over 80% of youth involved in juvenile justice have experienced trauma.
Professionals attending this conference work towards treating victims of traumatic experiences, investigating harm done to children, or prosecuting those responsible for such harm.