ANNUAL CONFERENCE | Idahocartf

22nd Annual Keeping Children Safe Conference

Balancing the Case and the Cost

Save The Date: OCT 15, 2026

Boise, ID

Registration will open July 10

Travel Scholarships will be available

Who Should Attend:
Attorneys, social workers, educators, law enforcement officers, juvenile probation and parole officers, county MDTs, forensic interviewers, medical professionals, CASA volunteers, and more!
Cost: Free
What’s Included:
A full day of expert training, light refreshments, lunch, and professional networking opportunities.

Interested in an Exhibitor Booth?
Contact Mindy Peper at IDCARTF@gmail.com

Why This Conference Matters- Balancing the Case and the Cost

The 2026 Keeping Children Safe Conference brings together professionals from across Idaho who are committed to protecting children, strengthening investigations, and sustaining the people who carry this difficult work every day. This year’s theme — “Balancing the Case and the Cost” — recognizes the reality faced by those working on the front lines of child protection: the critical importance of pursuing justice for children while also addressing the personal and professional toll trauma-heavy work can have on investigators, advocates, prosecutors, social workers, forensic interviewers, medical professionals, and allied partners.

This year’s conference features two dedicated learning tracks — Investigations and Wellness & Resiliency — intentionally designed to equip attendees with both advanced investigative insight and practical strategies for long-term resilience and wellness.

Participants will hear from nationally recognized presenters addressing some of the most challenging and important issues facing child protection professionals today. Sessions include topics such as the dangers of disbelieving child disclosures, recognizing hidden indicators of abuse, investigating female-perpetrated child sex crimes, and understanding how to strengthen resilience in trauma-exposed professions.

Featured presenters include Jennifer Hillgoth presenting Disbelief of Children in Investigations: A Dangerous Mistake and It’s Only a Bruise; Andi Hamilton presenting Female-Perpetrated Child Sex Crimes: Myths, Typologies, and Investigative Approaches and The Weight We Carry: How to Increase Resilience in Trauma-Heavy Fields; and Lori Poland who will deliver a keynote and wellness-focused session centered on resiliency, healing, and sustaining purpose in demanding fields.

The Keeping Children Safe Conference is designed for multidisciplinary professionals working in child protection, investigations, prosecution, victim services, healthcare, education, advocacy, and related fields. Attendees will leave with actionable tools, updated investigative strategies, and renewed encouragement to continue protecting children while also caring for themselves and one another in the process.