Association of Children’s Residential and Community Services (ACRC) Conference
70th Annual ACRC Conference
Turning Awareness into Action
Chicago, IL | March 16-19, 2026
Hi, I’m Erin Bader, MSW, LCSW!
I’m excited to connect with you at the National Center’s booth or after the poster presentation.
I bring more than 20 years of child welfare experience to my role as Director of Knowledge and Dissemination at the National Center. In this role, I collaborate with partners and consultants to develop and curate editorial content for the National Center Knowledge Hub. I also lead our Universal Technical Assistance efforts, helping to broadly disseminate National Center content through monthly webinars, editorial publications, conference presentations, and more.
Before joining the National Center, I served as a child welfare and adoption subject matter expert at Child Welfare Information Gateway, where I helped lead national initiatives, including National Adoption Month. Prior to that, I led child welfare programs in Nebraska and gained direct practice experience as both a Children’s Social Worker in Los Angeles and a Protection and Safety Worker in Nebraska—work that continues to shape my approach to supporting the field today.
I hope you’ll stop by and say hello—I’d love to meet you and learn about the work you’re doing!
In the meantime, I’ve shared a few key National Center resources below that highlight our work and may be helpful as you explore adoption competent mental health services. Don’t forget to enter our contest below!
Click the bullets below to download PDFs
Conference Materials & Handouts:
- Adoption Competency: A Brief Introduction
- NCACMHS Overview
- National Center Video
- Residential Care Providers and Adoption Competence
- TA: Four Phases of Technical Assistance (TA)
- TA: Invest Time and Trust In the National Center
Related resources from The Knowledge Hub:
- Adoption Competent Therapy and Trauma-Informed Care
- Engagement of Parents as Agents of Healing
- Helping Mental Health Providers Achieve the Outcomes that Matter Most
- Holistic Strategies for Addressing Complex Needs
- NTI Training: A Family Perspective
Win National Center Gear!
Enter your contact information and hit submit to be entered to win a National Center prize bundle—a tote filled with branded swag, a Stanley Cup® tumbler, and a signed copy of Behind the Mask by Debbie Riley, C.A.S.E. CEO. The winner will be selected on the first day of ACRC and notified by email to come pick up their gear.
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