Choosing to Care Conference
Our Choosing to Care Conference is an adoption, foster, and orphan care conference in the Athens-Clarke/Oconee County area.
Its purpose is to provide information to potential and current adoptive or foster families, as well as professionals and other community members.
Upcoming Conference
Our 2024 Choosing to Care Conference will be Saturday, January 20, at Prince Avenue Baptist Church
Keynote Speaker: Jason Johnson
Jason is a writer and speaker who encourages families and equips church and organizational leaders on their foster care and adoption journeys.
He currently serves as the Director of Church Mobilization and Engagement with Christian Alliance for Orphans. In his work he develops resources, coaches leaders and teaches in a variety of contexts on church-based ministry structures, organizational leadership and strategy. He is also a sought-after speaker for churches, retreats, conferences, and events for foster and adoptive parents as well as for those considering getting involved.
Prior to his work at CAFO Jason spent 14 years in church staff ministry, including planting and pastoring a church in Houston. It’s there that his family's foster care journey began.
Jason and his wife, Emily live in Texas with their daughters. He has authored 4 books: Reframing Foster Care, Everyone Can Do Something, ALL IN Orphan Care and Effectively Engaging Churches.
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Past Conferences
2023 Choosing to Care Conference
Our 2023 Choosing to Care Conference was held Saturday, February 11, at Watkinsville First Baptist Church
Keynote Speaker: Sonia Martin
Sonia is a licensed clinical social worker, PIP, a TBRI Practitioner and holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Social Work. Her clinical focus is on helping parents and professionals understand the role of the brain in behavior and how to adopt therapeutic parenting techniques to help mitigate negative behaviors. Additionally, she trains family court Judges, GAL’s & DHR attorneys on measuring bonding and attachment and how to decide best placement for a child in care and she is the mother of 7 sons. She loves Jesus, orphan care, and eggplant parmesan.
2022 CHOOSING TO CARE CONFERENCE
Our 2022 Choosing to Care Conference was held on Saturday, January 29, at Prince Avenue Baptist Church.
Keynote Speaker: Jamie Finn
Jamie C. Finn is the author of Foster the Family blog, which centers on family, foster care, and adoption. She is also the creator of the largest online support group for foster parents, Foster the Family, a Foster Parent Support Page with over 20,000 members.
Jamie is the director of Foster the Family, a nonprofit organization that exists to support and encourage foster and adoptive families, mobilize and equip the community and church for foster care and adoption, and is an advocate for vulnerable children.
At any given moment Jamie is a mother to four to six children. She has two biological children and two children adopted from foster care. She is also a foster mother to one to two children of whom the ages, genders, and medical and behavioral needs change constantly. Jamie lives in New Jersey with Alan, her middle school sweetheart and husband of fourteen years.
2020 CHOOSING TO CARE CONFERENCE
Our 2020 Choosing to Care Conference was held on Saturday, February 1, at Prince Avenue Baptist Church.
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Sharen Ford
Sharen Ford, Ph.D., is a nationally-recognized child welfare consultant and the retired Manager for Permanency Services for the Colorado Department of Human Services. She currently serves as the Director for Foster Care and Adoption at Focus on the Family. She is committed to raising awareness regarding the need for every child to have a permanent family.
2019 CHOOSING TO CARE CONFERENCE
Our 2019 Choosing to Care Conference was held on Saturday, February 2nd, at Watkinsville First Baptist Church.
Keynote Speaker:
Tara VanderWoude
2018 CHOOSING TO CARE CONFERENCE
Our 2018 Choosing to Care Conference was held on Saturday, February 3, at Watkinsville First Baptist Church.
Keynote Speaker:
Pam Parish
2017 CHOOSING TO CARE CONFERENCE
Our 2017 Choosing to Care Conference was held on Saturday, February 4, at Watkinsville First Baptist Church.
Keynote Speaker:
Jason Johnson
2016 CHOOSING TO CARE CONFERENCE
Our 5th Annual Adoption and Orphan Care Conference was held on Saturday, February 6, 2016 at Watkinsville First Baptist Church.
Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Susan Hillis
2015 CHOOSING TO CARE CONFERENCE
Our 4th Annual Adoption and Orphan Care Conference was held on Saturday, February 28, 2015 at Watkinsville First Baptist Church.
Keynote Speaker:
David Wooten
2013 CHOOSING TO CARE CONFERENCE
Our 3rd Annual Adoption and Orphan Care Conference was held on Saturday, October 19, 2013 at Watkinsville First Baptist Church.
Keynote Speaker:
Vermon Pierre
2012 CHOOSING TO CARE CONFERENCE
Our 2nd Annual Adoption and Orphan Care Conference was held on Saturday, October 13, 2012 at Redeemer Presbyterian Church.
Keynote Speaker:
Dan Cruver
2011 CHOOSING TO CARE CONFERENCE
Our 1st Annual Adoption and Orphan Care Conference was held on Saturday, October 15, 2011 at Redeemer Presbyterian Church.
Keynote Speaker:
Don Aldin