Member
Part of our community.
$695
Planning base price
per attendee
National Center Symposium
Big ideas.
Real connection.
Chicago.
October 20-22, 2027Loews Chicago Hotel
Come together with the leaders shaping community-based child welfare. Bring your experience. Find your people. Move the work forward.
Three days of shared expertise in the heart of Chicago.
The next chapter starts here
See you in Chicago.
Opening session · October 20, 2027 · 3:00 p.m. Central
-Days
-Hours
-Minutes
-Seconds
A national community. A shared purpose.
The conversations that move child welfare forward.
The best ideas often begin with a conversation.
Join executives, community-based care leaders, state associations, public agency colleagues and professional partners for an experience built around shared expertise and meaningful connection.
Chicago brings a fresh setting to the Symposium’s familiar mix of national perspectives, practical exchanges and candid peer discussion.
- 01 / LEARN
See the bigger picture.
Explore national and state perspectives on the future of community-based child welfare.
- 02 / EXCHANGE
Work through real questions.
Bring your challenges to Learning Exchanges and discover ideas through Innovation Showcases.
- 03 / CONNECT
Build your peer network.
Connect through Affinity Groups and conversations that continue long after Chicago.
Three days. Room for possibility.
Your Chicago experience.
A first look at the program, modeled on the 2026 Symposium. Session topics, speakers and the final schedule will be announced as planning progresses.
Registration & welcome
Pick up your badge, meet fellow attendees and settle in for three days of connection.
Opening remarks
Welcome to Chicago and the National Center Symposium.
National perspectives on child welfare
A proposed opening conversation on the opportunities and challenges facing community-based child welfare.
Welcome reception
Reconnect with colleagues, meet new peers and begin the conversations that carry through the Symposium.
Breakfast & connections
Start the day with your peers and professional partners.
General session & national conversation
Proposed keynote programming and discussion on strengthening community-based systems.
Networking break
Make time for sponsor conversations and new connections.
Learning Exchanges
Proposed small-group conversations on sustainable funding, workforce, quality and organizational leadership.
Lunch & peer connections
Continue the conversation across organizations and states.
Learning Exchanges & Innovation Showcases
Explore practical approaches, emerging tools and ideas with peers doing the work.
Afternoon break
Refresh and connect with fellow attendees.
From insight to practice
Proposed panel discussion and shared takeaways from the day’s exchanges.
Breakfast
One more morning to connect with colleagues.
Affinity Group conversations
Connect with peers in similar roles to compare challenges, share ideas and build relationships.
Networking break
Make a final connection before the closing conversations.
State perspectives & shared priorities
A proposed discussion of developments across community-based child welfare systems.
Closing reflections & next steps
Take your new connections and practical ideas back to your organization.
Planning preview only. Opening and reception windows reflect the Chicago hotel schedule; session details are illustrative and subject to change. Speakers and room assignments are not yet confirmed.
Make room for Chicago
Your place in the conversation.
Explore the registration experience for you or your team.
Registering on someone else’s behalf? The form keeps the coordinator, each attendee and the billing contact separate.
These beta forms are interactive previews. Public registration and payment are not open yet. The planning rates below carry forward the 2026 base prices and may be updated before launch.
Included sponsor / partner registration preview ↗Non-member
Join the conversation.
$795
Planning base price
per attendee
Final pricing and any processing charges will be shown before live checkout opens. Hotel reservations are separate.
Registration fees are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend the 2027 Symposium, we will provide a 50% discount for the 2028 Symposium.
Be part of what’s next
Put your organization in the conversation.
Connect your expertise with a national community of child welfare leaders.
Explore sponsorship opportunities, included registrations, and logo and advertisement submissions in the Chicago sponsor form.
2026 packages carried forward for planning. Final 2027 availability and benefits are subject to confirmation.
The city is part of the experience
Meet us at
Loews Chicago.
A Chicago gathering deserves a Chicago stay.
Make the hotel your home base for the Symposium. Use the event’s dedicated Loews page to review room availability and reservation details.
- Symposium dates
- October 20-22, 2027
- Group room nights
- October 19-21, 2027
- King room group rate
- $299 / night + taxes & fees
- Reservation deadline
- September 28, 2027
Rooms are subject to availability. Review room type, taxes, fees and cancellation terms with Loews before booking. Hotel and Symposium registration are separate.
Is registration open?
Not yet. This beta site previews the Chicago 2027 event and forms. You can explore the fields and review a sample summary, but these previews do not submit registrations, reserve places or collect payments.
Can an assistant register several attendees?
Yes, the planned workflow separates the registration coordinator from each attendee and the billing contact. Each attendee will have their own email, badge details, accessibility and dietary preferences, and recording choices.
How will included sponsor registrations work?
Eligible sponsor packages include the number of registrations shown above. The planned sponsor signup workflow issues an organization-specific registration code; attendees will use it to claim available places. Codes are not issued or redeemed by these beta previews. Professional Partner benefits are managed separately.
Is the agenda final?
No. This is a draft based on the Nashville Symposium format and the contracted Chicago event schedule. Specific sessions, speakers, rooms and timings will be finalized as planning progresses.
What happens if I cannot attend?
Registration fees are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend the 2027 Symposium, we will provide a 50% discount for the 2028 Symposium. The hotel has a separate cancellation policy.
Will sessions and Affinity Groups be recorded?
The registration preview includes separate optional permission choices for session recording and Affinity Group recording. Neither is selected by default. Final recording arrangements will be communicated before the event.
October 20-22, 2027 · Chicago
Bring your perspective.
Leave with possibility.
The next conversation starts with you.