Call for Presentations
2027 Montana Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect (PCAN)
In-Person Conference
April 13-14, 2027 – Helena, Montana
Conference Overview and Theme
The theme for the 2027 Montana PCAN Conference is "A Home for Every Child". This theme is directly connected with our Program Improvement Plan (PIP) and the federal initiative of the same name, focusing on right-sizing the ratio of available placements so that there are homes waiting on kids, not kids waiting on homes.
The conference will provide educational and inspirational opportunities for those who work in and around child welfare and the prevention of child abuse and neglect, skill building, resource sharing, wellness ideas, and training opportunities with nationally recognized speakers and trainers. It is an important time for those working in the field of child welfare in Montana to come together to strengthen collaboration, support kinship and foster families, and create a collective, impactful response in supporting children and families.
Potential Presenters
CFSD is soliciting presentation proposals from innovative experts from throughout Montana and the United States. Our intention is to offer professionals surrounding Montana’s child welfare workforce an opportunity to consider new and emerging best practices, trends, and research related to the children, youth, and families they serve.
Presentations from state employees within the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, other Montana state departments, community partners, and lived-experience advocates are welcomed and encouraged.
Topics of Interest Include, but Are Not Limited To:
- Foster & Kinship Support and Retention: Dedicated sessions and practical approaches tailored to the real-world needs, concerns, and support of kinship and foster families.
- Collaboration & Teamwork in Practice: Practical applications of multi-disciplinary work and how different roles can align to achieve shared goals and improve outcomes for children and families.
- Wellness & Resilience: Connecting workforce well-being with professional resilience, exploring how individual self-care is supported by a team-wide culture of care and encouragement.
- Innovation & Transition: Exploring how we can adapt frameworks like Hope Theory to improve assessment, planning, and interventions—supporting older youth aging out of care and navigating system transitions.
Presenter FAQs
Who attends the conference?
Montana’s child welfare system is state-supervised and administered by Regional Administrators across six geographic areas. Attendees include local and regional child welfare caseworkers, supervisors, and CFSD staff from across Montana. Additionally, practitioners adjacent to the child welfare system are encouraged to attend, including prevention and support services contractors, behavioral specialists, therapists, educators, early childhood professionals, attorneys and legal advocates, medical providers, law enforcement, older youth who have aged out of foster care, and foster and adoptive parents.
Who selects the presentations?
Members of the PCAN Conference Planning Committee and Child and Family Services Division (CFSD) will evaluate presentation submissions based on outlined criteria to inform the selection process.
Will a presenter per diem be provided?
The budget for the conference is being finalized. The electronic presentation application does provide space to request financial compensation and/or travel and accommodations. If your presentation is selected, CFSD will reach out to you to finalize the requested fee.
Will conference organizers be providing presentation materials to attendees?
As this year’s PCAN Conference is being held in-person, presentation materials will be provided to attendees electronically utilizing a conference application.
When will presenters be notified?
Notification will be sent out electronically to the main contact on all proposals no later than January 31st, 2027.
Proposal Application
All proposals are to be submitted through Microsoft Forms at:
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/g/e6rLDYVdTG
Note: The application will close at the end of the year (December 31).
If there are concerns or issues with this link, please email: tradle@mt.gov