Conference Program Please click here to view the Conference Program Sessions PDF Commissioner's Award Booklet Please click here to view the Commissioner's Award Booklet PDF

The Office on Child Abuse and Neglect (OCAN) was pleased to convene the 18^th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect on April 16 - 20, 2012, at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Materials presented at the Conference are now available, including:

• Video archives and materials from the five plenary sessions and the six virtual participation workshops
• Presenter information, session descriptions, PowerPoint presentations and handouts from workshops, skills seminars, think tanks, and Pre-Conference sessions (audio recordings coming soon!)
• Conference Program
• Commissioner’s Awards Program and other special award recipients information

The theme of the 18th National Conference, Celebrating the Past – Imagining the Future, highlights the desire to embrace past successes, to learn from challenges, and to realize the dream of eliminating child abuse and neglect. Timing the National Conference with the Centennial Celebration of the Children’s Bureau provided a special opportunity to reflect upon past accomplishments and lessons learned, and to collectively develop strategies for improved policies and services.

New! – A Virtual Participation Series

OCAN utilized state-of-the-art technology at the 18^th National Conference to extend its reach, and more than 1,000 individuals from this country and around the world were virtual participants in the Plenary Sessions and Interactive Workshop Sessions. They joined the 1,500 individuals attending the Conference in Washington, D.C., who represented the full spectrum of practitioners, researchers, law enforcement, and advocates for the safety and well-being of children.

By all accounts, the 18^th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect was a tremendous success.  We feel confident that the knowledge and skills gained and enthusiasm generated through the National Conference will have an impact on services provided in local communities across the country.

A conference of this scope and size demands significant collaboration. Many thanks to all the national and local Conference staff who made this event possible, with special thanks to our National Co-Sponsors and Conference supporters.