Foster Care Advocate & Comfort Cases Founder Rob Scheer to Speak at 2016 Rainbow Families Conference
Nationally renowned foster care advocate Rob Scheer will address the 2016 Family Conference & Gathering.The biennial conference, presented by Pink & Blue Surrogacy and Fertility, will take place on Saturday, April 30 from 8:30 A.M. to 5 P.M. at Georgetown Day School (4200 Davenport St NW high school campus) in Washington, D.C.
Scheer is the founder of Comfort Cases, a charity that provides backpacks filled with basic necessities to support children in the foster care system on their journey to find home. Scheer received national attention after his family received backlash from conservative groups when his 11 year old daughter Amaya was feature in American Girl magazine. Scheer and Amaya used the opportunity to bring attention to the challenges faced by children in foster care and the great work Comfort Cases is doing to support them.
“I remember the first day Amaya came to stay with us. She was four years old, moving into her third foster home and carrying her entire life in a white trash bag,” said Scheer. “Having experienced foster care myself, I was disgusted to see a child forced to carry around their things like they were garbage. We took her out to buy new clothes and she picked out a Cinderella nightgown.”
“From that moment, I knew we needed to make a change,” Scheer said.
Scheer founded Comfort Cases, a non-profit organization provides backpacks with essential items like toiletries, pajamas, activities and other items for children in foster care. The charity went from providing about 300 kits in 2013 to donating 7,000 to kids in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia foster care systems last year.
Rob is an outspoken advocate for children in foster care and speaks all over the country. He was recently honored at the Family Equality Council Impact Awards in Los Angeles, Calif.
Family Conference Overview
Held every two years, the RFDC Family Conference provides an opportunity for LGBTQ parents, family members and their children, as well as prospective parents, to gather for a day of learning, networking and fellowship.
The 2016 Family Conference will bring together hundreds of parents and families, expert panelists, service providers, businesses, schools and others interested in connecting with the Rainbow Families DC community. The event will include a full day of diverse workshops, as well as discussion groups, social events, and a resource fair featuring information and tools for LGBTQ families and prospective parents.
The conference also includes a Kids’ Camp for children 2.5 years old through elementary school age. Kids Camp is a full-day of fun, engaging and nurturing activities led by energetic volunteers and a group of outstanding activity providers from some of the best programs in the DC Metro area. Older children are invited to volunteer to assist, engage and interact with the younger children at the conference.
Early Registeration Ends April 15. Registration Continues Through April 27 for Adults Only.
Early online registration is available through April 15 by CLICKING HERE. Registration fees are $40 per adult for Rainbow Families DC members and $50 per adult for non-members. Kids’ Camp registration fees are $25 per child for members and $30 per child for non-members and must be made online. A family registration cap for those with four or more children is available-registration fees will apply to the first three children and the remaining children will be free.
After April 15, no registrations for Kids’ Camp will be allowed.
Late online registration will available through April 27 for adults only and fees will increase to $45 per adult for Rainbow Families DC members and $55 per adult for non-members.
Onsite registration will be available beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 30 for adults only; no onsite registration will be available for Kids’ Camp. Onsite registration fees will increase to $50 per adult for Rainbow Families DC members and $60 per adult for non-members.
Rainbow Families DC wants to ensure both the 2016 Family Conference and Kids’ Camp are financially accessible to everyone. If the cost poses a barrier to your family’s participation, please email Rainbow Families DC to discuss alternative pricing at info@rainbowfamiliesdc.org.
Learn more about the 2016 Family Conference and Rainbow Families DC at www.rainbowfamiliesdc.org/conference.
