Leon County's Children's Summit happens Thursday, Oct. 21. The virtual event comes as the county launches its new voter-approved Children's Services Council. The Children's Summit is hosted by Whole Child Leon, where Courtney Atkins is the executive director.
"One of my favorite events that Whole Child facilitates is the Seventh Annual (Children's Summit.) We have a community-led planning committee and we've been meeting the last six months to get our programming and staff and talk about what we want to focus on."
Atkins said the event allows children's advocates and care professionals to connect on many levels.
"Human service agencies, providers, executive directors, we really look at what's going on in our community as it relates to children and families and then try to focus that year's actual programs."
That cooperation and collaboration is more important than ever, she said, given the creation of the new Leon County Children's Services Council.
"The Children's Services Council, they have a needs assessment coming up and they're going to be thinking about what are they funding? What do we need to fund? We want to make sure that money is going to fill the gap where we know that programs that need to happen are being built out to serve more children. But looking for where those gaps are to make sure the funding goes where it needs to go."
Particularly in the age of COVID, which emphasized the outcome disparities for minority kids. Thursday's online Children's Summit runs from 8:30 a.m. until noon. Whole Child Leon's web site has the connection info:
