This past month, Paul Chapman, Shayne Baker, and I represented Restore Hope at the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) National Conference, an event known for gathering leaders, advocates, and practitioners in foster care, adoption, and family restoration. The conference offered the opportunity to engage and collaborate with other organizations dedicated to transforming the lives of vulnerable families.
I was especially moved by two general session presentations: one by Jason Johnson and the other by Austin Ludwig. Below is a summary of the key insights from those talks, along with highlights of the conference.
Jason’s presentation begins 29 minutes in.
Jason Johnson spoke on a very personal matter, but something many people can resonate with. It was on the topic of learning to love the very thing that you wish had never happened. The talk explored how good can come out of bad and how God can redeem our situations and setbacks.
Austin Ludwig’s presentation immediately follows in this same clip. Through sharing his powerful personal story and broader societal examples, Ludwig urged attendees to be "everyday heroes" by choosing to engage meaningfully with their communities.
I found Ludwig’s call to integrate compassion into daily life particularly inspiring, seeing it as a vital part of Restore Hope’s mission to foster strong, supportive communities.
Another powerful moment was hearing from Governor Bill Lee, who shared his reflections on leadership, community, and serving vulnerable populations. His message underscored the importance of local and national leaders creating sustainable support systems for children and families in crisis.
Additionally, Bishop W.C. and Donna Martin, featured in the Sound of Hope movie, shared their personal journey of community leadership and caring for children. Their story highlighted the significance of faith-based support systems and the long-term commitment required to restore families.
During the CAFO National Conference, Jason Weber led a breakout session titled "Big Ideas on Prevention: How the Church Can Go Upstream", which featured Paul Chapman, Jeff Chaisson from Salty Ministries, and Charlee Tchividjian from Every Mother's Advocate as presenters. Paul Chapman introduced the 100 Families model, showcasing the impactful work being done to support family preservation and prevent children from entering the foster care system.
Jeff and Charlee also shared their experiences and insights, offering a powerful explanation of why family preservation is crucial. Their combined presentations highlighted how the Church is uniquely equipped to lead these efforts, leveraging existing systems of care and mobilizing congregations to serve families in crisis. The session encouraged a collaborative discussion, allowing participants to engage in a Q&A, table discussions, and idea sharing, all focused on strengthening families and keeping children out of the foster care system.
The session provided attendees with practical strategies for how the Church can play a pivotal role in upstream prevention efforts. This is the 4th year for Restore Hope to have the opportunity to share in a breakout session about their upstream efforts and progress. After this session, many organizations sought Paul to find out how they can implement the model in their area of the US.
Beyond the general sessions, Paul and I attended several meetings where we engaged in meaningful conversations with partners from national organizations. We discussed innovative strategies to improve trauma-informed care and explored data-driven approaches for delivering personalized support to families. These meetings also opened doors for future partnerships that could enhance and expand the 100 Families Initiative.
During the conference, Paul, Shayne, and I connected with several Arkansas-based partners including DCFS, Connected, The Call, Project Zero, Compact, Sparrows Promise, and Immerse Arkansas. This interaction highlighted the strong network within the state working towards a common goal of supporting families.
Looking Ahead
The CAFO National Conference was a time of reflection, learning, and networking for Restore Hope Leadership. The inspiring presentations from speakers like Jason Johnson and Austin Ludwig offered practical tools to continue important work. The connections made and insights gained at the conference will influence Restore Hope’s ongoing efforts to support vulnerable families in Arkansas.
Our time at CAFO strengthened our commitment to family restoration, giving us renewed energy and purpose as we return to our communities with fresh ideas and strengthened partnerships.
Smart Justice is a magazine, podcast, and continuing news coverage from the nonprofit Restore Hope and covers the pursuit of better outcomes on justice system-related issues, such as child welfare, incarceration, and juvenile justice. Our coverage is solutions-oriented, focusing on the innovative ways in which communities are solving issues and the lessons that have been learned as a result of successes and challenges.
The podcast is available on all major podcasting platforms.
Subscribe to the Smart Justice newsletter.
