31st Annual Fulfilling the Promise Conference

The Professional Development Network, a program of Wisconsin Child Welfare Professional Development System (WCWPDS-Milwaukee), and the conference planning committee invite proposals for workshops at the 31st Annual Fulfilling the Promise Conference, to be held March 16th-18th at the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI.

Theme: The Power of Joy

In a world often defined by its challenges, we seek to reframe the narrative by focusing on a powerful and often underestimated force: joy. The Power of Joy is not a fleeting emotion; it’s a driving force that builds resilience, sparks innovation, and deepens connections. It’s the shared laughter that bonds families, the renewed energy that motivates professionals, and the collective spirit that strengthens communities. Our upcoming conference will explore how we can actively cultivate joy to foster growth and well-being in the families we serve, the organizations we work within, and the communities we call home. We invite you to submit a proposal that shares your insights and strategies for harnessing the power of joy to create meaningful and lasting change. Join us in celebrating this essential human experience and discovering how it can transform our lives and the lives of those around us.

Possible presentation topics connected to this theme could include:

• Using gratitude, play, and humor as tools for connection and trust-building.
• The science of joy and its impact on brain development and well-being.
• Practical strategies for incorporating moments of joy into our work and into parent child interactions.
• How to build resilience in families and professionals through positive experiences.
• Creating a culture of joy and support within program teams.

Proposals should include potential topics that address the needs of professionals in the family support sector. We are open to a variety of subjects, but are particularly interested in the following areas: Trauma-Informed Care: Advanced applications and integration into daily practice. Engagement: Strategies for working with diverse populations, including but not limited to, different ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and family structures. Vicarious Trauma and Burnout Prevention: Practical strategies for self-care and building resilience in high-stress environments. Evidence-Based or Research-Informed Interventions: The latest research and application of innovative strategies in family support. Case Management Excellence: Innovative approaches to documentation, resource navigation, and inter-agency collaboration. Additional Content areas could also include but are not limited to: Adult and child mental health, Leadership, Family health and wellbeing, child development (including differences and delays/ neurodivergence), Infant Mental Health, Substance use, ethics and boundaries and many more. Proposers are also encouraged to suggest additional topics that align with the professional development needs of our staff and the evolving landscape of family support. We are particularly interested in topics that reflect emerging trends or address specific challenges within the community.

Fulfilling the Promise is an annual conference for a wide variety of professionals supporting families, including home visitors, parent educators who provide homebased, group-based, and center-based support and education to parents of young children, early interventionists, public health and many others along with their supervisors and managers. Participants work in Family Resource Centers, Head Start, and Early Head Start, private agencies, health departments, hospitals, Birth to 3 programs, Even Start Family Literacy schools, county and tribal social service departments, and Early Childhood centers. Annually, the conference averages 300 participants from across the state.

Conference Details

We are continuing with a 3-day conference format, with Day 1 offering full and half day institutes, and Day 2 and 3 with an AM Keynote and 1 late morning session and 2 separate PM sessions each day.

Date

March 16, 2026 – March 18, 2026

Location

Wilderness Resort, Wisconsin Dells
511 E Adams St, Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965

The Fulfilling the Promise Conference seeks to provide participants with a rich learning experience covering a wide variety of topics that provide participants with evidence-based practices and programs and best practices within the field of parent education and family support. Participants generally are experienced and educated and will benefit from a more in-depth look at topics. Participants appreciate tools, resources and ideas they can take back to use in their work right away so please be sure to spend some time on how your information can be transferred into application in the field.

We request that all presenters plan a minimum of 10 minutes of discussion time at the end of their session to allow participants to ask questions and help participants apply the new knowledge to their work. We are asking presenters to think about including an action form/plan that allows participants to check in at 30 days and use the knowledge you presented to refresh themselves in practical application.