The Summer 2026 Online National Chapter Peer Forums are designed for Chapter leaders and staff. We invite you to join with your peers throughout the U.S. to share resources, reflect on what defines and supports your role, and seek guidance from one another.
The sessions will focus on Chapter sustainability, showcasing successful initiatives at the Mississippi, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts Chapters.
Starting with a large-group learning experience, participants will later move to Zoom breakout rooms for small-group discussions and peer consultation. The meeting closes with all participants engaging in a Q&A session with Regional CAC staff.
Registration is free and is open nationally to Chapter staff.
To view information below, click on each section to expand or collapse.
These forums are open to Chapter leaders and staff nationwide.
Karla Steckler Tye, Chief Executive Officer – Children’s Advocacy Centers of Mississippi
Karla Steckler Tye serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Mississippi. She has 25 years of experience as a clinician and child advocate. In her current role, she oversees all operations of the organization including leadership and support on a statewide level to provide services to children who have been victims of child abuse and children who have witnessed a violent crime. Under her leadership, the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Mississippi has grown from one part-time staff position with a budget of $100,000 to a robust organization of fourteen staff and a budget of over $4.5 million. The organization is revolutionizing Mississippi’s response to child abuse through leadership, innovation, and training.
Thomas M. King, LICSW, Executive Director – Massachusetts Children’s Alliance
Tom got his passion for the CAC movement when he served as the child forensic interviewer for Hampden County District Attorney back in 1997. “Seeing the impact of systems working together to better the lives of children is something that fuels me everyday to ensure our work knows no bounds. Child victims deserve nothing less than the amazing response of a Children’s Advocacy Center to help them on the road to healing, hope and justice.” Tom has been the director of the Massachusetts Children’s Alliance since 2006.
Joy Barrett, Chief Executive Officer – Granite State Children’s Alliance
Improving the lives of children is what motivates Joy. In her position as Chief Executive Officer of the Granite State Children’s Alliance (GSCA), she feels it is a privilege to work on behalf of children and be part of a dedicated effort to break the cycle of child abuse and improve the well being of our most vulnerable children. In her role at GSCA she provides direct leadership and support for the four Child Advocacy Centers (CAC) located in Belknap, Cheshire and Hillsborough Counties. Joy also serves as the NH Chapter representative of the National Children’s Alliance (NCA), providing technical assistance, training, and organizational resources to the network of CACs throughout New Hampshire.
Chapter Peer Forums are 1.5-hour live Zoom sessions. Individuals may attend any or all forums. The summer 2026 schedule is listed below.
Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Turning Awareness into Supporters: A Statewide Campaign
This discussion will highlight the events, partnerships, and strategies the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Mississippi used to motivate individuals to increase financial support for the Chapter and CACs. Attendees will leave with practical ideas, lessons learned, and adaptable resources for their own states.
- 8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. HST (Hawaii)
- 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. AKDT (Alaska)
- 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PDT (Pacific)
- 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. MDT (Mountain)
- 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. CDT (Central)
- 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. EDT (Eastern)
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Diversifying Revenue Streams: Lessons from Two State Chapters
Building a more sustainable organization requires more than finding new funding sources, it requires intentional strategy and organizational readiness. In this brief session, leaders from the Massachusetts Children's Alliance and the Granite State Children's Alliance will share how they are blending revenue through strategic planning, strengthened development capacity, board engagement, corporate and foundation partnerships, and individual giving. Attendees will leave with practical ideas, lessons learned, and resources they can adapt within their own Chapters.
- 8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. HST (Hawaii)
- 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. AKDT (Alaska)
- 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PDT (Pacific)
- 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. MDT (Mountain)
- 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. CDT (Central)
- 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. EDT (Eastern)
Please pay attention to which time zone you are in below each date. Please note that the times below do not represent multiple peer forums; rather, they represent the time when the call starts in your local time zone. If you need assistance in determining which time zone you are in, visit: https://www.time-zones-map.com/.
Important Notice: We use various platforms to send automated emails and notifications. To ensure you receive these communications, please add the following emails to your Safe Sender List:
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- mrcacoutreachcoordinator@gmail.com
For assistance with Outlook and Gmail, refer to this help document: https://bit.ly/mrcac-safesend
What you can expect during the 90-minute forum:
Each forum starts in a large-group format to review a special topic relevant to Chapters, and then participants move to Zoom breakout rooms for small-group discussions and resource sharing. The meeting closes with all participants returning together in one large group for a Q&A with Regional CAC staff.
How you can prepare:
- Make sure you have high-speed internet access, a computer or laptop, speakers and a microphone (or a headset), and a web camera. To best facilitate peer conversations, we will ask you to keep your camera turned on whenever possible.
- To honor the confidentiality of other discussion group attendees we ask that you participate in space that is private or use headphones to limit the broadcast of the discussion.
- Prepare your thoughts and comments about the identified topic.
- Review the agreements below.
Agreements:
- Be brief - Investing less time in back story allows us more time for discussion.
- Be mindful of your airtime - Allow for everyone to add to the discussion or ask questions.
- Be confidential - What is shared here stays here.
- Be curious - Use those learner questions - open-ended, open-minded questions which promote discoveries, understanding, and solutions. Start with phrases like "what if….", "what else…."
Mailing Lists
Sign up for your Regional CAC's mailing list to be notified when applications open: