WS Chronicle

Crossnore Communities for Children is pleased to announce the MOVE Conference, a crucial gathering of pastors and church leaders about the crisis of youth aging out of foster care in North Carolina. The conference will be held on Thursday, Feb, 16, 2023, at Woosley Chapel on Crossnore’s Winston-Salem campus. 

North Carolina has more than 16,000 children and youth in the child welfare system, with hundreds aging out of the system each year. The MOVE Conference will provide churches with the knowledge, tools, and evidence-driven Open Table model to move a generation of youth aging out of foster care from the risk of poverty to the reality of economic mobility. A church attending MOVE will be ready to begin the process of serving a young adult transitioning from the foster care system immediately. Register for the conference at www.crossnore.org/move-conference/.

Brett A. Loftis, JD, Crossnore’s chief executive officer, said, “We organized the MOVE Conference to empower faith communities to lead and implement a proven solution to this crisis. Combining knowledge about youth aging out of foster care with a proven model is a game changer for them. Crossnore selected Open Table for its focus on moving communities from transactional to transformational responses. What youth need most is relationships, along with our skills and access to our social networks. Hundreds of youth aging out are waiting now.”

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, a Crossnore partner, has also selected Open Table and has provided three years of funding for a statewide initiative. The North Carolina State Employees Credit Union (SECU) is also a funder and support partner in the initiative. “This collaboration with Open Table and Crossnore builds on Blue Cross NC’s goal of providing specific care, support, and resources to North Carolina’s foster families, enabling them to succeed and thrive,” said Fran Gary, senior vice president of government markets for Blue Cross NC. “All of North Carolina’s youth in foster care deserve this opportunity to find consistent support connecting with mentors who will help them develop an actionable life plan as they transition to independent living.”

MOVE Conference attendees will be well equipped on both mission and action levels. They will learn from speakers representing more than a hundred years of experience serving youth. The conference will combine learning, training, and interactive activities designed to create conversations, innovative ideas, and action plans. Brett Loftis will introduce and define the overall MOVE mission and the barriers to creating economic mobility faced by youth aging out of foster care. 

Sarah Norris, Ed.D., MBA, M.Ed., Crossnore’s chief program officer will speak on the state of child welfare in North Carolina and how the faith community can build a stronger bridge to the community for these young adults. 

On the action level, Jon Katov, founder and CEO of Open Table, will share the genesis of the Open Table model and its expansion to more than 30 states. He will overview the results of more than 20 outcome studies and two Baylor University case studies. Angie Williams, chief operating officer of Open Table, will present the details of the model and the step-by-step process to implement Open Table. Attendees will also experience real-life Table scenarios and participate in a simulated Table meeting. 

Jon Katov expressed appreciation for the new partnership, saying, “We are grateful to Crossnore, Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC, and SECU for their generous support and commitment to models that train communities to become an outcome partner to transform youth aging out of the foster care system. When we all connect in this way, a better life for youth becomes a movement. One at a time means not one forgotten.”

For more information about Crossnore Communities for Children, please visit www.crossnore.org.