Lashaina Hoskie, Senior Social Worker, speaking at the Foster Care Mini Conference.
GALLUP, N.M. – The Foster Care Mini Conference held by the Department for Child Well-Being (DCWB) on August 18, 2026, brought professionals, foster, kinship and adoptive families, and potential foster care parents together to discuss and share how to improve services and support for foster children and families.
During welcome remarks, Navajo Department for Children and Family Services (NDCFS) Deputy Director Sonlatsa Jim said that in working with foster children, she found that they want to reconnect with their culture and language. “Their stories are so inspirational because they care about the foster care system. They want to improve it,” she said. “They have creative, innovative ideas as young people who grew up in the foster care system. They love being Native American. They love being indigenous. They have a connection to that identity and they want more. They want to learn their language, they want to learn the culture, they want to know who their relatives are, they want to know their clans, they want to hear the songs, they want to go to the ceremonies,” she said.
Joseph Sandoval, Community Involvement Specialist with the Navajo Treatment Center for Children and Their Families, participating in panel discussion.
As a way to incorporate Diné culture and teachings for families and supporters, Joseph Sandoval, Navajo Treatment Center for Children and Their Families (NTCCF) Community Involvement Specialist, shared Diné creation stories, which included teachings about neglecting children. Anthony Begay, NTCCF Program Manager, shared how his program can serve foster children utilizing both Western approaches to counseling and traditional Diné services.
Strong self-identification, communication, relationships, and partnerships were key areas for healing noted by panelists during the general session. Engaging children through their culture and language and through activities they enjoy such as physical activities and creating art were encouraged during the panel discussion.
Jorge Cabrera, Child and Family Services Managing Director with Casey Family Services, said rewarding relationships that are a part of the child’s tradition and culture, self-regulation, reflection, and repetition create therapeutic impact for children.
The role of caregivers was also emphasized. Cabrera said that healing happens within the family and that training and education for caregivers is critical. Delphina Benally, Principal Social Worker, said that parents need to recognize that they and family members may need to enter therapy to heal together. “We need to be able to understand that as a whole environment we all need to work on this together in order to heal together,” she said.
Delphina Benally, DCWB Principal Social Worker, addressing the audience at the Foster Care Mini Conference.
A workshop offered by DCWB as a breakout session taught participants how to create Loss Boxes and Life Books for their foster children as a way to document their journey, cope with grief and loss, and develop connections. Participants had the opportunity to create their own Loss Boxes and Life Books as part of the workshop.
Crescentia Tso, DCWB Department Manager, said that the work of DCWB must be guided by Diné values and principles. “K’é teaches us that we are connected through our relationships and that we have responsibilities to one another. Hózhó reminds us of the importance of balance, harmony, healing, and well-being,” she said.
When a child enters foster care, the experience can be frightening and confusing, Tso said. The trauma that a child may feel is why placement, meaningful family contact, maintaining relationships, and culturally appropriate services matter, she added.
“Our responsibility is to see them, hear them, respect them, and work with urgency to help them find safety and belonging,” Tso said.
Attendees from the NAOMI House work on loss boxes during the workshop by Department for Child Well-Being.
The DCWB held the one-day conference to raise awareness and deepen understanding on the importance of permanency-competent, trauma-informed, strength-based mental health services and support for foster and kinship families and the children they are parenting, including assisting families in knowing how to access services available to them.
Thomas Cody, NDCFS Executive Director, thanked Casey Family Center and the National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services for their partnership and commitment to the Navajo Nation. “Providing education sessions such as this improves services for our children and families. We need to give them the resources they need to succeed and flourish,” he said.
The mini conference was a collaborative event between the Navajo Nation, National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services, and Casey Family Program. The Casey Family Program presented on Introduction to Healing Strategies and the National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services presented on Accessing Mental Health Services. Staff from each program also participated in the panel discussion.
Participants included staff from Department of Diné Education and Office of the Prosecutor. Some families came from as far as Tucson to attend the Mini Conference.
Casey Family Program presenting on Introduction to Healing Strategies.