The 2011 Summit on Children and Families in Poverty: Taking Stock - Moving Forward Together to Build Family and Community Assets was convened by South Dakota Voices for Children May 5-6 in Ft. Pierre, SD.

Seventy people, representing a cross-section of public and private organizations sharing a commitment to lifting children and families out of poverty attended the 2011 Summit on Children and Families in Poverty.

Nicole Townswick, VISTA serving Habitat for Humanity-SD (left); and Sharon Vogel, Cheyenne River Tribal Ventures (right), listen as Patty Bacon (center), executive director, Habitat for Humanity-SD speaks.

Dr. Susan M. Randall, executive director of South Dakota Voices for Children, presided over the opening session of the Summit.

Carole Cochran provided a statistical snapshot of South Dakota Children and families in poverty. She is the director of South Dakota KIDS COUNT.

Jennifer Brooks delivered the keynote address - Asset building: A critical strategy for reducing poverty and creating opportunity. Brooks is state and local policy directory for the Corporation for Enterprise Development.

Paula Jensen, funds development director, NESDCAP, presented information about the Bush Foundation's conversations and polling in South Dakota.

A panel discussion focusing on South Dakota Initiatives Moving Us Forward featured (left to right) Elsie Meeks, state director, USDA Rural Development for South Dakota; Kathy Callies, vice president for advancement and operations, Rural Learning Center, Howard; Megan Larson, Starting Strong South Dakota, Black Hills Coordinator, South Dakota Voices for Children; Joy Smolnisky, director, South Dakota Budget and Policy Project.

Eileen Briggs, executive director of Cheyenne River Tribal Ventures, presided over the May 5 Summit on Children and Families in Poverty evening session.

Mary Brooks, director of the Housing Trust Fund Project, Center for Community Change, presented information about advancing investment in affordable housing.

Connie Halverson, vice president of public benefits for Delta Dental of South Dakota, presided over the May 6 morning session.

Robb Gray is state project coordinator for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. He presented information on "Working together in Coalition to achieve impact."

Douglas Jacobson (left), executive director of Badlands Head Start, questions Dr. Robert Burns, emeritus professor of political science at South Dakota State University, as Carol Muller, Minnehaha County Human Services Director, looks on. Burns' workshop was titled "Aligning South Dakota values with policy."

Dr. Greg Boris, senior policy and program specialist, South Dakota Voices for Children, presented information in a workshop titled "Being an Effective Advocate."

Mary Brooks' two-part workshop dealt with Launching a Housing Trust Fund. Brooks is the director of the Housing Trust Fund Project, Center for Community Change.

Kari Fruechte, community development associate, South Dakota State University Extension, presided over the closing luncheon.

The 70 people attending the Summit represented 17 South Dakota communities and four states.

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