MSPCC’s 2025 Kid’s Net & MAFF Conference

 

When:

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

8:30am-3:00pm

 

Where:

Courtyard Boston Marlborough

75 Felton Street

Marlborough, MA 01752

 

Keynote and Workshop Descriptions

Every Youth Needs Someone: 3 Lessons Learned from 12 Years of Foster Care

Dr. Sharrica Miller, Ph.D, RN                           

This talk will focus on the story of Dr. Sharrica Miller, a nurse practitioner who spent 12

years of her childhood bouncing around 7 different foster care placements before earning her PhD by age 35. Using documentary clips and photos from her childhood, Dr. Miller will recount powerful stories from her foster care journey and spotlight the people who helped her succeed against all odds.

 

By detailing the unique obstacles that foster youth face and the critical role of support

networks, this talk will also provide concrete strategies to better engage with and ensure the success of this vulnerable population. Part informative, part motivational, this talk will serve as not only a testament to the power of resilience and hope, but also as a source of inspiration for advocates and practitioners who work with transitional age foster youth. Participants will leave ignited with a renewed commitment to serving the needs of transitional age foster youth as they embark on a life journey of success against all odds.

 

Learning Objectives:

  1. Learn and implement effective strategies for engaging with transitional age foster youth to build trust and provide consistent support.
  2. Design and implement actionable, individualized plans that address the specific needs of transitional age foster youth to ensure their long-term success.
  3. Enhance advocacy skills to better support the needs and rights of foster youth, focusing on overcoming systemic barriers.

 

Discovering My Identity

Isaac Etter, CEO & Founder, IDENTITY/IDENTITY MEDIA

Based on the docuseries “Discovering My Identity.”

In this moving and insightful keynote, Isaac Etter shares his personal journey as a transracial adoptee navigating the complexities of identity, belonging, and healing. Through powerful storytelling, Isaac invites the audience into his lived experience of growing up as a Black boy in a white family and the path he and his family took toward understanding, growth, and connection. 

 

Audiences will laugh, reflect, and be deeply moved by Isaac’s honest account of his childhood, his struggles to be seen, and the pivotal moments that shaped his sense of self. This keynote uniquely weaves together Isaac’s story with video clips from his family, offering a rare and vulnerable glimpse into the full-family adoption experience from multiple perspectives.

 

Learning Objectives:

Whether you’re a parent, professional, or advocate, you’ll leave with:

  1. A deeper understanding of the adoptee’s emotional and racial identity journey. 
  2. Concrete strategies for supporting adopted children and teens.
  3. A renewed sense of purpose in building relationships rooted in trust, listening, and love.

 

 

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Playing

Steve Gross, MSW Founder, Chief Playmaker, The Life is Good Playmaker Project                       

Life isn’t easy for lots of kids. As more children face poverty, violence, neglect, and instability at home, the children’s mental health crisis continues to deepen. But when we make play the priority and weave it into all aspects of children’s lives, we see remarkable improvements in their social-emotional wellbeing and in our own.

 

In his dynamic presentation, Steve blends play, humor, storytelling and science to make a compelling case that healthy play is the single best vehicle we have for solving the children’s mental health crisis. Nothing else comes close.

 

 

Understanding Intergenerational Trauma & Building Resilient Families

KEYNOTE: Gwen Bass, PhD, MEd & Elizabeth Solomon

Family patterns of dysfunction are often passed down through generations, deeply influencing parenting styles, child behavior, and the overall stability of the family system. This workshop is designed to examine the impact of transgenerational trauma.

Participants explore how inherited family dynamics shape relationships and discover ways to foster a sense of belonging and stability for children within complex family systems. Leave with insights and strategies that support healing and resilience in children and families.

 

Learning Objectives:

  1. Define transgenerational trauma and explain how inherited patterns affect family dynamics, parenting styles, and child behavior.
  2. Discuss strategies that foster a sense of belonging, healing, and resilience for children in complex family environments.
  3. Explore effective communication skills to discuss trauma, complex family histories and family dynamics with children in a compassionate and developmentally-appropriate manner.

REGISTER HERE!