The Children’s Advocacy Alliance is an independent voice for Nevada children, advancing systemic change in the areas of early childhood education, children’s health, and child welfare.
We achieve public policy wins through collaboration and collective impact within the community to ensure every child in Nevada thrives.
Dear Esteemed Guests, Community Partners, and Supporters,
Welcome to our Kids Count Breakfast event. For years, CAA has relied on data to drive our support for policy work. One of the tools we rely on heavily is the Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Book. Today, we will look at the current findings for Nevada and discuss how we will continue to drive systemic change in early childhood education, child welfare, and children’s health.
As the Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Alliance, I am honored to be a part of an organization that works with a diverse community of advocates, policymakers, impacted individuals, service providers, and others to build coalitions and strengthen the voice of children and families in our state. As we work together, we are empowering the future of not only children but our statewide community.
Though many of the numbers in the Data Book rank Nevada lower than our children deserve, the dedication of each of you here today shows that we can work together to change that trajectory.
Empowering Children’s Futures: Uniting for Advocacy and Data-Driven Change
8:00 am Doors Open
8:30 am Program Begins
8:30 am Welcome from CAA Executive Director Holly Welborn
8:40 am Youth Keynote Speech Surviving Adverse Childhood Experiences: The Need for Good Data and Strategic Investment in Youth
— Arria Barbuti
8:55 am Keynote Speech From Data to Policy: The Power of Kids Count
— Paige Clausius-Parks
9:10 am Closing Remarks
Dr. Tara Raines
9:30 am - 10:00am Networking
BIRTH & DEATH RECORDS
AIR QUALITY
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH IMMUNIZATIONS
DISEASE INVESTIGATION
FOOD SAFETY
Would like to thank all our sponsors:
Washoe County School Children in Transition (CIT)
The mission of the WCSD CIT Program is to provide children who are experiencing academic standards expected of all children by eliminating barriers to their education.
WCSD CIT Program
In response to the goals and objectives of the McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Succeeds Act, the WCSD goals and objectives for Children in Transition are:
To have district personnel aware of children experiencing homelessness and
To collaborate with agencies to locate children and youth experiencing homelessness;
To facilitate school enrollment, transportation, nutrition and health services;
To coordinate services to meet the special needs of children experiencing
To implement strategies that encourage socialization and success within a
School District (WCSD) (CIT) Mission Statement
experiencing homelessness with the opportunities to achieve the same high-quality education.
Program Objectives: Homeless Children and Youth Act and the Every Student and their needs; homelessness; services; experiencing homelessness; a caring school environment.
Holly Welborn, Executive Director
Holly’s mantra is that she is an advocate with a law license. Youth justice has always been central to her work. During law school she focused on youth law and interned for Legal Services for Children where she represented children in delinquency and dependency matters, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status applications, and school expulsion proceedings.
Holly most recently served as the Policy Director for the ACLU of Nevada where she managed a diverse legislative agenda. She is most proud of her work to limit the transfer of youth under 18 years of age to the adult criminal legal system and to improve living conditions for children in juvenile justice facilities.
website helps you find support for your child’s first five years.
now offers a quick and easy way to find programs, services and resources you can qualify for at no cost to support your children prenatally through their early years.
Paige Clausius-Parks
Paige is the Executive Director of Rhode Island KIDS COUNT and a leader in the Annie E. Casey Foundation state network.
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT is a statewide children’s policy and advocacy organization that works to improve the health, safety, education, economic well-being, and development of Rhode Island's children, with a commitment to equity and the elimination of unacceptable disparities by race, ethnicity disability, zip code, immigration status, neighborhood, and income. Rhode Island Kids Count is the model for publishing up-to-date data products that inform groundbreaking policy initiatives.
Dr. Tara C. Raines, Deputy Director & Kids Count Coordinator
Dr. Tara C. Raines is a licensed psychologist with a history of research promoting equity and access in the areas of education and mental health. She is a former Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Training for the School Psychology program at the University of Denver. She has spent the last decade implementing and supporting a number of grants to improve outcomes for youth at highest risk for mental health disorders. She has partnered with large school districts including Clark County School District, the fifth largest district in the country, to do this work. Tara has been active in the Las Vegas My Brother’s Keeper Alliance and sits on the Board of Directors for Democracy Preparatory Academy Nevada and Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.
Pinyon Public Affairs
Proud Sponsor of the Children's Advocacy Alliance ~ Kids Count Breakfast com
Arria Barbuti
Born and raised in Las Vegas, Arria is a sophomore at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, working towards a master’s degree in Social Work.
Arria is actively involved in her Fostering Community through organizations such as NFYI, Clark County Youth Advisory Board, and Foster & Adoptive Youth Together. She is a Fostering Scholar at UNLV and the President of the Fostering Community Club. Arria’s biggest goal is to utilize her own experience to motivate those currently and formerly in foster care to pursue higher education while advocating for more educational resources. Arria works as a resource navigator for iFoster TAY Americorps and a Golden Nugget Spa & Salon spa coordinator.
Thanks to our CAA Staff:
Holly Welborn
Tara Raines
Ben Douglas
Annette Dawson Owens
Jamelle Nance
Carissa Pearce
Jake Matthews
April St. James
CAA Board of Trustees
Lynn Purdue, Chair
Patricia Farley, Vice Chair
Gard Jameson, Treasurer
Fernando Serrano
Andrew Eisen
Dawn Gibbons
Senta Lanzino
Rachel Silversteain
Carlia Waite
Andre Wadé
Elaine Wenger-Roesener
Hilary Westrom
Thank you for attending our Kids Count Breakfast!
To find out more about getting involved, scan the QR code below:
