Partnerships for Well-Being Institute Connects Change-Agents for Children and Families

The 2026 Partnerships for Well-Being Institute featured 949 attendees and one mission: to support and strengthen the System of Care for California’s children and families. 

Institute Highlights

Emphasizing the event theme—Navigating the Tide: Connecting Our Child, Youth and Family‑Serving Systems for a Stronger Future—the entire Institute reflected a shared commitment to integrated care and cross-sector collaboration:

• 80+ workshops—Featuring 10 tracks, expert presenters and actionable insights, this year’s workshops connected attendees to proven ideas and resources they can put to work for themselves, their team and those they serve.
• Institute Awards—Attendees celebrated outstanding change-agents whose drive and dedication make a difference for California’s children and families.
• Keynote Speaker—Think of Us founder and former foster youth Sixto Cancel shared what it means to lead, adapt and stay grounded through times of transformation. 
• Plenary Panel—California Department of Social Services (CDSS) leaders Angie Schwartz and Emily Smallson joined Kristina Tanner—a former foster youth, policy advocate and special projects coordinator—in an educational high-level panel overview of the Tiered Foster Care Rate Structure, focusing on how it will positively impact kids and families.
• Networking—With hundreds of professionals gathered from across the state and beyond, the Institute provided an unparalleled opportunity to meet and share with other professionals and advocates, further strengthening California-wide engagement and collaboration. 
• And More—Check out our Institute Photo Gallery.

Uplifting Lived Experience

Lived experience took center stage throughout the Institute, with keynote speaker Sixto Cancel, plenary panelist Kristina Tanner and our esteemed MCs—Kristina Tanner and Ebony Chambers—sharing their personal journeys. The event also featured a standing-room-only workshop track on lived experience. In addition, Institute attendees were honored to welcome special guests for two important panels.

Family Panel

Joined onstage by their children and siblings, participants Mikayla Negrón-Foster and Megan Makula emphasized the importance of listening to parents and caregivers regarding their own and their children’s unique needs. Their advice included recognizing siblings as individuals with their own strengths and interests, increasing culturally appropriate supports and services, and strengthening Wraparound resources. “If it wasn't for some of those people in my life, I would not be a success story,” said Negrón-Foster. “Knowing that you can make an impact on at least just one kiddo, one young person, you can change the trajectory.”

Youth Panel

Engagement was an overarching theme for participants Jayden, Lauren and Michael. Whether it was something as seemingly simple as doing a favorite hobby or sport together or as consequential as letting the child or youth make their own life decisions, their examples emphasized time and again that engagement was the true key to building trust. Institute attendees also celebrated panelists’ biggest successes, such as Michael’s academic accomplishments and Lauren’s ongoing advocacy. But Jayden, who plans to become a chef, summed up his greatest accomplishment: “To be honest, it’s this—just being here!”

Attendees Share Their Experiences

Our hundreds of attendees included line staff, supervisors, leadership, parent and youth partners—anyone committed to improving lives through holistic, coordinated services. We asked several attendees why they came, what motivates them and how they make a difference for kids, families and communities.

• Rianna Eltagonde

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  Online research led Rianna Eltagonde and her co-worker Melvin Merlos to the Partnerships for Well-Being Institute. 
  
  “My colleague was the one who brought it to me,” she said. “When we looked at the workshops and what was going to be offered, we said that’s definitely something we want to be a part of!” 
  
  As Solano County Office of Education Juvenile Hall mental health and wellness clinicians, they had been seeking opportunities to learn more about how to better support both their youth and their families.
  
  “We really were drawn to the Wraparound program model,” Eltagone said. “In order to truly help on a holistic level, you have to hit every single support system. If we're not working with and seeking out the families, then we are missing a huge mark on truly helping both our youth and families heal and succeed.”
  
  “It’s always been my way to be the person I could have benefited from when I was young, and to be able to meet people where they’re at,” she added. “Guiding them through the fires at times is the most fulfilling work—I love what I do!"

• Noah Ullman

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  Noah Ullman came all the way from Colorado to find out in person what’s happening for California’s children and families. 
  
  A facilitator with Hope Enacted—a Colorado Wraparound facilitation agency—Ullman was passionate about Wraparound before he even knew what it was. 
  
  “I worked in a residential setting with young men coming out of juvenile detention, and everything that Wraparound stands for is exactly what could help prevent those young men from falling through the cracks of the system and back into juvenile detention,” he said. 
  
  Ullman went on to take a job “randomly and out of pure luck” as a Wraparound facilitator. 
  
  “Wraparound was the answer to a lot of things that I saw in the system, with the kids and with the higher-level needs,” he said. “It creates a professional who can do it all at once and bring everyone together to make things happen.” 
  
  In addition to his Institute attendance, part of Ullman’s professional commitment to kids and families has been participating in UC Davis trainings and events like the Wraparound Hubs, even across state lines.
  
  “I learned about UC Davis' quintessential involvement and everything that happens throughout the state and structuring all through UC Davis,” he said. “It’s been a great counterpart to what we do in Colorado.”

• Karen Hernandez 

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  Instead of just bringing information, resources and answers back to her workplace, Karen Hernandez plans to bring back some questions, too. 
  
  As part of a 212-person statewide cohort from Institute award-winner Victor Community Support Services—a California nonprofit providing behavioral health, educational and social support services—Hernandez is looking forward to engaging and sharing with her co-workers in her Barstow agency.
  
  “I’m bringing back questions, for sure,” she said. “Questions like, ‘This is what I learned—what do you think about it?’ and ‘Is there somewhere where my role can fit into this team?’” 
  
  As event first-timers, Hernandez and her Barstow colleagues enjoyed the Institute’s focus on collaboration. 
  
  “We’re learning a lot from different perspectives of other roles as well, and we’re looking forward to finding out more about collaboration with our team members,” she said. 

• Crystal Gates

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  Crystal Gates was excited to attend the event as the recipient of an Institute scholarship. 
  
  “I had filled out an application for the Institute Family Partner Scholarship, and I didn't think I'd win,” said Gates, who works with Pacific Clinics, a statewide behavioral health, education and social and support services nonprofit. “It was so amazing when I did!”
  
  A returning Institute attendee, Gates was thrilled to connect with new colleagues and renew professional connections.
  
  “I’m excited to see people that I've met through this event and on my council that are like role models to me in the Peer Partner world,” she said. “They've just helped me grow as both a Peer Partner (I've gotten licensed as a Peer Support Specialist), and now I'm going to school to be a Social Partner. My network is branching out to where it's opening doors of opportunity that I didn't know existed, and my whole avenue is changing because of these people and this program.”
  
  Gates looks forward to continuing to grow and give back as a mentor and model for other mothers.
  
  “Being a mom that had a two-year case with Child Welfare, I love helping other mothers learn so they can get their kids back,” she said “To actually do it with them—to be that person with them and watch them change their lives—is what motivates me.”

• Tabitha Rodgers

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  As a past Institute youth panelist and a current Institute attendee, Tabitha Rodgers is committed to keeping lived experience in the spotlight no matter where she is.
  
  “The central purpose and voice of lived experience is so important: We need to hear those voices, we need to validate them, we need to make sure that they feel seen, recognized, heard— no matter their age,” said Rodgers, who was in foster care for over six years. 
  
  She shared how—since she was a teenager—she has used every opportunity to speak up and speak out for at-risk families and youth. Now as an advocate for more than two decades, she continues to learn and grow with opportunities like those offered at the Institute. 
  
  “I want to know how we're growing, how we're strengthening and what we're doing for our different nonprofit organizations and how we are being more trauma-informed,” she said. “The environment, the people, the like-minded affiliations and collaboration are what bring me back.” 

Join Us in 2028

The Institute is more than a professional development opportunity—it’s a chance to transform how we work together to improve child welfare case management services and outcomes for California’s children and families. 

Thanks to our wonderful partners, organizers, MCs and presenters, plus our 949 inspiring attendees for making our 2026 Institute so memorable!

For information on the next Institute—scheduled for June 14 through June 16, 2028—and related information and resources, subscribe for our email updates. 

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