Penn State’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network will host its annual daylong conference, “Supporting Transition-Age Youth with Foster Care Histories: From Evidence to Action,” on Friday, Oct. 23rd, at The Nittany Lion Inn on the University Park campus. The conference will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a virtual attendance option available for those unable to attend in person.
Each year, approximately 20,000 young people age out of the foster care system, while many more experience foster care placement during adolescence. As these young people transition into adulthood, they may face challenges related to housing stability, employment, and access to and completion of postsecondary education and vocational training.
The conference will bring together researchers, youth-serving system partners, and individuals with lived experience to examine current research, identify gaps in existing support systems, and discuss actionable strategies to improve outcomes for young people transitioning out of foster care.
Featured speakers include:
- Amy Dworsky, senior research fellow at Chapin Hall;
- Jennifer M. Geiger, associate professor at the University of Illinois Chicago’s Jane Addams College of Social Work;
- Lindsey Glezen, human service analyst PA Department of Human Services OCYF;
- Devlin Hanson, principal research associate at the Urban Institute;
- Judith Havlicek, associate professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign;
- Jacob McLeaf, program coordinator Dauphin County Valley Youth House;
- Nathanael J. Okpych, associate professor at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work;
- Megan Piel, associate professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio;
- and Lisa Schelbe, Jeanene M. Janes Professor in Child Welfare at Florida State University.
Sessions will explore four key areas: transition-age outcomes and system constraints; independent living and foundational supports for postsecondary success; effective approaches to improving postsecondary pathways; and a panel discussion on navigating systems and college from the perspective of lived experience moderated by Qasim Abrams, University of Pittsburgh, School of Social Work.
The event is designed for professionals working in child welfare, advocacy, research, and related fields. Students are also encouraged to attend. Registration includes breakfast, lunch, and refreshments throughout the day. The registration fee is $50 for general attendees and $25 for county and state welfare workers, with financial assistance available for eligible agency representatives. Students may attend free of charge.
Continuing education units (CEUs) are also available for eligible licensed social workers, marriage and family therapists, and professional counselors in Pennsylvania. Participants can earn 6.25 credit hours of continuing education by attending the full conference.
Sponsors of this year’s event include the Social Science Research Institute, Penn State Child Study Center, Penn State Human Development and Family Studies, Penn State College of Education, Penn State Department of Psychology, and The Human Development and Family Studies Vladimir de Lissovoy Program Support Endowment.
Registration is required. To learn more about the conference, view the schedule, and register, visit the 2026 Child Maltreatment Solutions Network Conference website.