In a stressful world, kids need our guidance and the adults who care for them need support, confidence, and ideas to encourage children’s growth and well-being.
That’s why UW–Madison Division of Extension is hosting the fifth annual Raising Wisconsin’s Children Conference (RWC) online from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. CST, Feb. 4. The free conference, built around “Helping Children Thrive When Life Gets Tough,” will be full of tips, tools, and suggestions to support kids and the adults who care for them. To support adults caring for children at various ages and stages, RWC has two afternoon tracks: early childhood and tweens/teens.
“Raising Wisconsin’s Children brings together a host of child development experts, many of whom are also parents and caregivers themselves, to share insight on pressing issues facing parents and caregivers today,” said Dr. Roxy Etta, an event organizer and speaker. Dr. Etta is the Child Development & Parenting State Specialist at Extension’s Human Development & Relationships Institute, which hosts the conference. “Each session in the conference will share research-based, practical information that anyone can use.”
Participants will leave with encouragement and new ideas to support children’s growth and well-being. Takeaways will include conversation starters for tough topics, helpful habits and routines tailored to stages of child development, and strategies for everyday challenges.
Raising Wisconsin’s Children Conference Agenda
- 9 a.m. Keynote: Rich Talk for Resilience: Supporting Children Through Life’s Challenges with Rebecca Rolland, author of The Art of Talking with Children
- 10:15 a.m. The Importance of Compassionate Caregiving: Nobody’s Perfect
- 11:30 a.m. Raising Resilient Children: Tools to Develop Emotional Regulation
- 1 p.m. Track options:
- Beyond Exhausted: Recognizing and Recovering from Parental Burnout (Early Childhood Track)
- Bridging Compassion: Helping Tweens and Teens Turn Kindness Inward
- 2:15 p.m. Track options:
- Play as a Pathway to Healing: Using Play to Help Children Cope and Thrive (Early Childhood Track)
- Helping Teens Build Strong Mental Health: Strategies for Parents & Professionals
- 3:30 p.m. Supporting Mental Health and Stronger Connections in the Digital World
Dr. Etta encourages everyone who works with youth to register for the RWC conference.
“It’s a rare opportunity to have speakers with this level of expertise presenting for an entire day, free of charge and available to you afterward,” she said.
RWC sessions will be recorded and available for viewing for one month after the conference. Registration is required to access the recordings. Recording information will be sent to all registrants after the conference.
RWC also offers 6 continuing education hours for Wisconsin childcare providers and social workers. Social workers must join the conference live to receive credit. Childcare providers can join live or view the recordings for up to one month after the conference to get credit.
Conference sponsors include the Office of Child Care and Family Resources at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education and Five for Families.
