Join NC Child and the North Carolina Institute of Medicine in Raleigh, North Carolina, for the inaugural State of the Child Summit.
The State of the Child Summit will focus on the current state of children’s health and well-being in North Carolina, and engage parents, lawmakers, and leaders across communities, sectors, and organizations in discussions around policy solutions to ensure North Carolina’s children have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
After the Summit, join us for a reception celebrating North Carolina’s Child Health Champions, where you’ll have the opportunity to network with other dedicated child advocates, legislators, and organizations making a difference in the lives of our state’s children.
We can’t wait to see you on Tuesday, April 30th at Marbles Kids Museum for the inaugural State of the Child Summit!
3/19/24 UPDATE: General admission and reception-only tickets have sold out! We are so thrilled by the enthusiasm around this event, and our team is currently looking into ways we can accommodate additional attendees. If you are still interested in attending the Summit, please add your name to our waitlist.
In these sessions, you'll be hearing from industry leaders, legislators, community partners, parents, and youth on the critical issues that affect our state's youngest residents. Read more about our morning plenary panels and afternoon breakout sessions.
Secretary Kody Kinsley, Department of Health and Human Services
Gracie Parker, eleven-year-old mental health advocate and founder of Why Us Kids?
We know that a solid foundation through early childhood education sets children up for a lifetime of success. Aside from providing avenues for children to reach critical health and developmental milestones, early childhood education provides parents with the means to secure their family’s economic stability. In “The ABCs of ECE,” our panel of experts will provide a survey of the educational and economic impacts of early childhood education, as well as the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead of us in this sector.
Moderated by Debra Derr, Director of Government Affairs, NC Chamber
Panelists:
Across North Carolina, our communities are experiencing alarming upticks in the rates of depression and anxiety among some of our state’s youngest residents. Addressing this growing crisis can be difficult, but we know that evidence-based interventions and school-based resources have the potential to transform child and youth mental health. In “Caring Classrooms,” our panelists will outline the complex landscape around the youth mental health crisis and how resourced schools and community partners can make an impact in the lives of children who are struggling.
Moderated by Neil Harrington, Research Director, NC Child
Panelists:
Children’s oral health and its long-term impact on their physical and emotional wellbeing is often understudied by institutions, and that children are often underinsured for this critical component of whole health care. In “Bright Smiles, Brighter Futures,” our panel will discuss the current landscape of child oral health care access and opportunities we have to ensure that every child can have a bright, healthy smile, and a bright, healthy future.
Moderated by Khristian Curry, Project Director, NCIOM
Panelists:
We know that sometimes children and families are in situations where their health and resilience are in jeopardy. In “Bridges to Better,” our panelists will discuss key issues within the child welfare system and what we can do to help kids and families in challenging circumstances have better, healthier lives.
Moderated by Edward Brooks, Attorney, Law Office of Edward Brooks, PLLC | Board Member, NC Child
Panelists:
We know that when families have the means to raise their children in healthy and financially stable environments, their children are more likely to grow into healthy, happy, and productive adults. In “Flourishing Families,” our panel will be presented in two parts: a discussion on how the investments we make today in concrete family economic supports have a direct impact on community prosperity, and a discussion on how school nutrition programs benefit the health and well-being of our children for generations to come.
Part one will be moderated by Michael Cooper, Senior Director of Advocacy, NC Child
Panelists:
Part two will be moderated by Manju Karkare, President and CEO, Nutritionally Yours, LLC | Board Vice Chair, NC Child
Panelists:
More than 100,000 babies are born in North Carolina every year, and the outlook for each of them is influenced by a number of factors, such as family economics, maternal health, and even race and ethnicity. We all want the best for our babies, so how do we ensure that each of them get the strong start they deserve? In “A Strong Start,” our panelists will discuss the current state of maternal health and infant birth outcomes and what we can do to ensure that mothers and children start healthy and stay healthy.
Moderated by Hannah Preston, Health Policy Manager, NC Child
Panelists:
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2024 STATE OF THE CHILD SUMMIT: EVENT ITINERARY |
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| Time | Topic |
| 8:30-9:00 | Registration and Networking |
| 9:00-11:45 | Welcome Remarks and Opening Plenary Panels: The ABCs of ECE and Caring Classrooms |
| 12:00-1:00 | Lunch |
| 1:15-2:15 | Breakout Sessions: Bright Smiles, Brighter Futures and Bridges to Better |
| 2:30-3:30 | Breakout Sessions: Flourishing Families and A Strong Start |
| 3:45-4:00 | Closing Remarks |
| 6:00-8:00 | Child Health Champion Reception |
Learn more about accommodation, parking, and other key details you’ll need to know for when you join us at the Summit.
There is no predetermined room block for the State of the Child Summit, however the City of Raleigh boasts many different options for lodging and accommodations that you can choose from.
If you would like to stay in the heart of downtown Raleigh, we recommend:
If you would like to stay in Raleigh’s Midtown (10 minutes from downtown), we recommend:
Marbles Kids Museum does not own any parking lots, but there are a range of options nearby. The Downtown Raleigh Alliance has an excellent map of available parking lots.
We recommend parking in the Wilmington Station Deck, as it is the closest deck to the museum. This deck has entrances on Wilmington Street and South Blount Street. All-day parking in the Wilmington Station Deck is $14.
Please note that the parking facilities are owned by the City of Raleigh and operated by McLaurin Parking.
The State of the Child Summit will include light breakfast options, boxed lunches, and snacks. The Child Health Champion Reception will include heavy hors d’ouevres and a selection of beer and wine. There is a separate children’s menu available for any children who attend the Reception. We have worked with our catering team to ensure that there are gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options.
We are able to provide child care at a limited capacity for parents who are attending the Child Health Champion Reception. The child care request form for the Reception is available on the registration page. If you have any questions, please reach out to Tyler Cox at tyler@ncchild.org.
Interested in becoming a sponsor of our event? Please reach out to Nayleny at nayleny@ncchild.org for more details!
