Annual Protecting Our Children Conference

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Attend the Conference

The 43rd Annual Protecting Our Children Conference will be in Orlando, Florida, March 30–April 2, 2025.

NICWA hosts the largest national gathering on Native child advocacy issues. With over 2,000 attendees, this three-day conference is the premiere national event addressing tribal child welfare and well-being. Can’t join us in Orlando? Join us virtually for general sessions featuring over a dozen inspiring speakers.

Register today

Schedule At a Glance

detailed agenda
Sunday, March 30
  • 3:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.

    Registration Open

  • 4:30 p.m.–6:00 p.m.

    Presenter Orientation

  • 7:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

    Membership Reception and Annual Meeting

  • 7:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

    Registration Open

  • 9:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.

    Opening General Session

  • 1:30 p.m.–3:00 p.m.

    Workshops A

  • 3:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

    Workshops B

  • 7:30 a.m.–8:15 a.m.

    National Day of Prayer for Native Children

  • 8:30 a.m.–10:00 a.m.

    General Session

  • 10:30 a.m.–Noon

    Workshops C

  • 1:30 p.m.–3:00 p.m.

    Workshops D

  • 3:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

    Workshops E

  • 7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.

    Banquet Dinner

  • 8:30 a.m.–10:00 a.m.

    Workshops F

  • 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

    Closing General Session

Conference Tracks

Child Welfare, Foster Care, and Adoption Services
Spanning areas such as grant writing for child welfare programs, implementing differential response, identifying best practices in family team decision-making, and cutting-edge research practices, this track includes the latest and most up-to-date information in child welfare. Explore topics that include providing effective prevention services and planning for youth engagement while establishing transitional services. Workshops will support improvements in your child welfare, foster care, and adoption services as well as the skills of program staff and educators, which could impact your program, tribal nation, community, and school for generations to come.
Leaders in the field of children’s mental health will share experiences, research, and information on the issues that impact Native children everywhere. Learn how to support and nurture families dealing with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and empower young people using new community engagement techniques. Attend sessions on how to address the difficult topic of youth suicide and what can be done to change the future for young people to bring promising results. Incarceration is a common result of historical trauma; explore techniques for culturally appropriate services, including traditional healing and other ways to heal our children, families, and communities.
The well-being of Native children and families is impacted by tribal, state, and federal laws and policies that guide practice in child welfare, juvenile justice, and mental health services. In this track, participants will learn about these laws and policies and how they are implemented. Workshops will discuss effective legal practice on behalf of Native children and families, programmatic challenges to implementing federal policies, tribal code development, innovative tribal court practices, intergovernmental agreements, and how effective collaboration can lead to meaningful systematic change.
Youth and families are the experts in their own lives; they should have an active role in their care management. Learn to engage and empower youth and families involved with systems using a strengths-based perspective. Gain insight on trauma-informed methods of engaging youth and families proactively; learn steps to developing successful youth leaders. Become informed about what diverse Native communities across the country are currently doing and have done in the past to involve Native youth and families.

Attendee and Registration Details

Payment
Early-Bird Rates
(must be paid for in full by 1/31/2025)		Full Rates
(after 1/31/2025)
In person registration
Member registration rate
(for current NICWA members)		$600$685
Non-member registration rate
(Includes a one-year $75 Abalone membership beginning April 30,2025) 		$675$760
Youth and elder rate
(youth 24 and younger and elders 65 and over)		$425$510
Foster and adopted person rate
(current foster and adoptive parents, adult adopters, and fostered individuals)		$425$510
Presenter rate
(up to 3 per workshop)		$325$410
Volunteers
(must volunteer 8 hours)		No cost
Virtual registration
Virtual rate
(only includes general sessions)		$99

We accept AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, and VISA. Payment must be made in U.S. dollars. Confirmation of registration will be emailed to you. Registrations with payment by check are not considered complete until payment is made. Please note that payment must be received by the early-bird deadline to receive the early-bird price. After January 31, 2025, the registration price will increase. Advance payment is required.

Refunds will be made if a written cancellation notice is emailed to training@nicwa.org on or before March 1, 2025. Refunds are paid in full, minus a $100 administrative fee. Prepaid registrants who are unable to attend may send another person in their place without penalty. No refunds will be issued after March 1, 2025. No refunds are available for virtual attendees.

Most conference functions will be in person in Orlando, Florida. We have a virtual option for those who cannot attend in person. This will be a limited experience with access only to our three general sessions. This option does not have access to our over 70 workshops. For the full conference experience, consider attending in person.

This year, there is a limit to our in-person capacity. Register early to secure your spot.

NICWA offers a group discount on our in-person early-bird and in-person regular registration rates. Groups of 5–9 people receive a 5% discount. Groups of 10+ people receive a 10% discount. Group members must all register at the same time to get the discount. For more details on the discount, contact training@nicwa.org.

In-person participants receive about 14 continuing education units (CEUs) from the National Association of Social Workers-Washington state upon request. The cost is included in the registration fee.

Travel & Lodging

NICWA will host the 43rd Annual Protecting Our Children Conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton at the Entrance to Universal Orlando. Florida is home to the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, as well as many area attractions.

  • Visit Orlando: Learn more about special discounts and area information just for conference attendees.
  • Orlando Weather: Check back here periodically to be sure you pack appropriately for Orlando weather.

Hotels

DoubleTree by Hilton at the Entrance to Universal Orlando-Host Hotel (SOLD OUT)

Key Details

  • 5780 Major Blvd, Orlando, FL 32819
  • Online Reservations
  • Phone: 1-800-222-TREE (8733) or 407-513-5913 for groups.
  • Group Code: NI2

Additional information

Rooms are $195/night plus tax. The hotel offers $18.00 discounted parking. Rate includes complimentary guest room wireless internet, business center, outdoor pool, and a fitness center. Rates are guaranteed until March 7, 2025, or until sold out.

Holiday Inn & Suites Across From Universal Orlando

Key Details

  • 5916 Caravan Ct, Orlando, FL 32819

  • Online Reservations

  • Phone: 1-888-HOLIDAY (1-888-465-4329) or 407-313-3344.

  • Group Code: NIC

Additional information

Rooms are $179/night plus tax. The hotel offers $10.00 discounted parking. Rate includes complimentary guest room wireless internet, business center, outdoor pool, and a fitness center. Rates are guaranteed until March 7, 2025, or until sold out.

This hotel is 0.25 miles from the conference hotel.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Nearest Universal Orlando

Key Details

Additional information

Rooms are $149/night plus taxes. Rate includes complimentary on-site parking, complimentary guest room wireless internet, complimentary breakfast, pool, and a fitness center. Rates are guaranteed until March 7, 2025, or until sold out. This hotel is .6 miles from the conference hotel.

Clarion Inn & Suites Across From Universal Orlando Resort

Key Details

Additional information

Rooms are $125/night plus taxes. Rate includes complimentary on-site parking, complimentary guest room wireless internet and a fitness center. Rates are guaranteed until March 7, 2025, or until sold out. This hotel is .2 miles from the conference hotel.

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

This year’s conference is within walking distance from Universal Orlando Resort. Universal is happy to offer NICWA Conference Attendees a unique ticket to Universal Parks. This ticket is exclusively sold through Doubletree by Hilton staff at the Universal Vacation Planning Center in the lobby (during operating hours) and is not available at the Front Gate or via NICWA staff. These tickets cannot be purchased in advance, and NICWA does not coordinate ticket purchases.

The 1-Park 1-Day Base, or a 2-Park 1-Day Park-to-Park, after 2 p.m. or after 4 p.m. (based on seasonality) ticket entitles one (1) guest admission to Universal Studios Florida AND/OR Universal Islands of Adventure theme park on any one (1) calendar day after 2 p.m. or after 4 p.m. See flyer for details. For your tickets, please present your annual conference badge at the Universal Vacation Planning Center in the lobby.

Scooter Rental and Accessibility Information

The hotel is ADA-compliant, and all meeting space is on one floor. Some individuals may wish to rent a scooter to help with traveling around. The following local companies offer scooter rental and will deliver to the conference hotel: Gold Mobility Scooters of Orlando and Scooter King Orlando.

A NICWA volunteer smiling at the annual conference registration desk.

Volunteer With Us

The success of NICWA’s Annual Protecting Our Children Conference depends on the support of generous and dedicated volunteers. As a small staff, we could not host this event without the help of volunteers. Volunteers who complete at least eight hours of volunteering will be given free general admission to the conference.
Sign up to volunteer

Volunteer FAQs

What do volunteers do?

Volunteers will sign up for at least two four-hour shifts. They will check in for their shift about 15 minutes before the start time and will be assigned a task at that time. There are a variety of tasks they might be assigned, including workshop monitors, registration assistants, and helping participants find their way to sessions. Below, volunteer shift descriptions are described. Volunteers will have the opportunity to do multiple kinds of assignments and will be assigned tasks based on need and ability.

Please review the types of volunteer roles and then select at least four two-hour shifts.
All volunteers are invited to attend our online volunteer orientation on February 27 at 11:00 a.m. PT. A recording will be made available after the meeting for those unable to attend live.

There are four types of volunteer shifts: helping with registration, being a workshop monitor, helping with set up and clean up, and general session and banquet support. See the registration page for details.

Become a Sponsor

Become a sponsor of the largest national gathering of Native child welfare professionals and advocates dedicated to building the capacity of tribal nations to ensure that all Native children grow up safe, healthy, and spiritually strong. Every year, from August to March, we recruit a broad range of partners to help underwrite this critical training event.

Sponsoring NICWA’s Protecting Our Children Conference offers you the opportunity to reach a unique audience while directly supporting work to build the capacity of tribal nations to implement community-based solutions and supports and ensure that all Native children and their families are safe, healthy, and belong to strong communities that are culturally and spiritually abundant.

Sponsorship Opportunities

For more information, contact April Black, NICWA’s development manager, at april@nicwa.org or (503) 222-4044.

In 2024, we offered practical, timely, and culturally relevant information to over 2,000 participants—frontline tribal child welfare and behavioral health workers, legal professionals, advocates for children and youth, and tribal, state, and federal government representatives. We thank our 2024 sponsors for their support. Read about the conference results, including the list of our sponsors, in the 42nd Annual Protecting Our Children Sponsor Report.

Thank you to our current 2025 Sponsors

We recognize and thank the tribal nations, businesses, and organizations that make NICWA’s Annual Protecting Our Children Conference possible. As a sponsor, your contribution directly impacts our work to build the capacity of tribal nations to implement community-based solutions and supports and ensure that all Native children and their families are safe, healthy, and belong to strong communities that are culturally and spiritually abundant.
View the Full List of Sponsors

Save the Date for Upcoming Conferences

43rd Annual Conference

March 30–April 2, 2025
Orlando, Florida

44th Annual Conference

March 29–April 1, 2026

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

45th Annual Conference

April 4–April 7, 2027


Albuquerque, New Mexico
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