Kinship Conference 2026
2 Locations- One Mission

Join FFA-NC in Partnership with NCDHHS

9/26- Wilmington

10/17- Asheville

9am-3pm

9/26 - UNCW McNeil Lecture Hall
601 S College Road
Wilmington, NC 28403
(Located on Cahill Drive on campus)

Register - 9/26/26

10/17 - Biltmore Church
35 Clayton Road
Arden, NC 28704

Register - 10/17/26

The Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina Kinship Conference is a supportive and educational event designed for DSS-involved kinship caregivers, child welfare professionals, and community partners. The conference will provide valuable resources, training, advocacy updates, and opportunities to connect with others navigating kinship care journeys. Attendees can expect informative workshops, expert speakers, networking opportunities, and practical tools to strengthen and support families caring for children impacted by kinship placement.

Agenda:

9:00am-10:00am: Registration, light breakfast and meet vendors
10:00am-10:30am: Welcome and keynote address
10:30am-12:00pm: Overview of family dynamics, DHHS presentation of Kinship Services and Supports and lived expert panel
12:00pm-1:15pm: Lunch and meet vendors
1:30pm-3:00pm: Breakout sessions for kinship caregivers and professionals

Questions?

Attention Kinship Caregivers - We Need You Here! 💙

We know that showing up is not always easy - and we want to make sure nothing stands in your way. FFA-NC is committed to making the 2026 Kinship Conference as accessible as possible for the kinship caregivers who need it most.

Here is what we are offering exclusively for kinship caregivers who attend:

🏨 Complimentary hotel accommodations - we've got your room covered (limited spots available so reach out TODAY!)
⛽ Travel reimbursement - we'll help get you there
👶 Free on-site childcare - bring the little ones, we will take care of them while you learn
🎁 Door prizes - because you deserve to be celebrated

This conference was built for you. Come learn, connect, and be poured into by people who understand your journey. Space is limited - register today at the link below and reach out to us directly to arrange your accommodations and travel reimbursement.

Our Keynote Speakers

EAST- Dr. Tyreasa Washington

Dr. Tyreasa Washington holds appointments at Harvard Medical School in the Department of Psychiatry and at Cambridge Health Alliance. She is the President and CEO of Agape Therapeutic Services, PLLC. Additionally, she is the Founding Director of the African American Families and Kinship Care Lab, a former professor, and a current affiliate at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Previously, she served as the Child Welfare Program Area Director and Distinguished Senior Scholar for Child Welfare at Child Trends. Dr. Washington is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with direct practice and management experience in both child welfare and mental health settings.
Dr. Washington has served as principal investigator on several National Institutes of Health funded studies, including two supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Her research focuses on understanding how family and community shape the academic, social, and behavioral outcomes of children in kinship care, as well as the stress and health outcomes of caregivers. She has co-authored numerous publications and reports and has presented her research at universities and organizations across the United States and internationally, including in Ghana, South Africa, and several European countries. Dr. Washington has also been invited to serve as a panelist on Capitol Hill to share her expertise on child welfare and kinship care. Her research has informed state level policy efforts, including the passage of kinship care focused legislation in Maryland, and her work has been featured in prestigious media outlets, including The Guardian.

WEST- Dr. Ramona Denby Brinson

Dr. Ramona Denby-Brinson is dean and Kuralt Distinguished Professor of Public Welfare Policy and Administration in the School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). She has more than 30 years of experience in social work education and 20 years in administration.
Her scholarly interests include policy, programming, and treatment issues relevant to children and families; child welfare; children’s mental health; and culturally specific service delivery. Denby-Brinson is a nationally recognized expert in culturally adapted child welfare services. She has published extensively about kinship care, as well as the mental health and well-being of African American children who are foster care system involved.
She has been funded significantly from federal, state, and private sources to conduct research related to child and family well-being. Her work is articulated in peer-reviewed journal articles, books, chapters, technical reports, issue briefs, media presentations and professional papers/presentations. She has been active in several national social work professional associations, including the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR).
Denby-Brinson has received numerous accolades for her scholarship and impact on the field. She received the 2014 Harry Reid Silver State Research Award for her highly respected research that is responsive to the needs of local and national communities. Denby-Brinson is passionate about working shoulder-to-shoulder and in communities with kinship families. She and her colleagues are working to support kinship families via KinCarolina which aims to produce health and wellbeing for caregivers and the children they are raising.
Denby-Brinson completed her Ph.D. at The Ohio State University. Prior to her academic career, Denby-Brinson served children and families in various social service settings.