Suffolk Community College holds conference on child abuse, how to protect children

At the first-ever CPS conference, Beers spoke of her visits prior from CPS to a room full of law enforcement, advocates, DSS workers and more who are collaborating on how to improve the CPS system.

Krista McNally

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Nov 8, 2024, 10:49 PM

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Updated 8 days ago

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Child abuse and how to better protect the children was the focus of a conference at Suffolk Community College.

Keynote speaker Katie Beers was profoundly neglected and abused as a child before her kidnapping at the age of 9 in 1992. During that time, she was locked in an underground dungeon for 17 days.

At the first-ever CPS conference, Beers spoke of her visits prior from CPS to a room full of law enforcement, advocates, DSS workers and more who are collaborating on how to improve the CPS system.

Friday’s conference is one of the ideas that’s stems from an 80-page report from a grand jury in Suffolk County following the death of Thomas Valva.

A group convened to fix many of the CPS issues and implement changes including the symposium, blind removal, pushes for pay raises and sharing of ideas.

Beers said it is definitely very important to alter education, to find new ways to educate anyone who deals with children whether it be educators, teachers, lawyers or therapists.