2026 Chief Justice Max Baer Children’s Summit
Overview
In April, judicial officers and child welfare leaders from across the Commonwealth gathered for the 2026 Chief Justice Max Baer Children’s Summit. This biannual event brings together judicially led teams from each judicial district to improve the state’s child dependency system. This year’s theme of “Better Together” was made more relevant as Pennsylvania’s twenty years of Dependency Court Improvement work was celebrated.
During the Summit, county teams learn about best practices in child welfare for both courts and agencies. While there were numerous highlights, this year’s Summit hosted the first-ever Chief Justice Max Baer Youth Scholarships. These scholarships, presented to former foster youth, are a memorial to the late Chief Justice, who believed education was the key to successful adulthood.
Other Summit highlights included county team time, a professional role breakout, and a celebration of the twenty-year anniversary of Pennsylvania’s Dependency Court Improvement journey. Specifics on all of these are provided below:
Youth Scholarship Awards Dinner
This year’s Children Summit saw the inaugural presentation of the Chief Justice Max Baer’s Youth Scholarship Awards. These two-year scholarships totaling three thousand dollars each were awarded to seven former foster youth from across the Commonwealth, each representing one of the state’s Leadership Roundtables. All seven youth, their supports (including family members, peers, and a college professor), and the professionals who nominated them were present for this special ceremony.
Before the dinner, the youth participated in a special workshop with leaders from the Department of Human Services, the Office of Children and Families in the Courts, and the Office of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. This unique opportunity also allowed the youth to meet one another and offer words of encouragement and support.
During the awards ceremony, each youth received a plaque from representatives of the Justice Max Baer Memorial Fund and delivered emotionally powerful speeches, resulting in many standing ovations from the audience. There was not a dry eye in the room.
Gaelin Elmore- Be the Difference: Belonging is the Support we need
Gaelin Elmore is a former NFL athlete who became a nationally recognized keynote speaker and belonging expert. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies, state agencies, and small, locally run non-profits, all with the same mission – to create environments where EVERYONE can thrive.
Gaelin provided one of the most memorable presentations in the Children’s Summit’s history. Through his deft, humorous storytelling, Gaelin highlighted the importance of belonging and challenged us all to be individuals who CARE.
Voices of Victory Panel
The Voices of Victory Panel offered attendees a realistic, emotional perspective on the resilience required to succeed in the dependency system. The panelists consisted of extraordinary individuals sharing their powerful stories of victory, including: a young woman with a 10/10 ACE score, a father who, along with his wife, successfully reunified with their daughter, a grandfather sharing his experience as a kinship provider to a young child, and a mother who overcame incarceration to reunify with her children. In addition, the panel included the professionals who supported them along the way: a caseworker, a Guardian Ad Litem, and a parent attorney. Their stories elicited empathy and reflection, underscoring the importance of collaboration in achieving successful outcomes for children and families.
20 Years of Progress: Dinner Celebration
The dinner celebration welcomed back many special guests who were instrumental in advancing dependency reform over the past 20 years. These guests included former Deputy Secretaries of the Office of Children, Youth, and Families, Children and Youth Administrators, Dependency Judges, Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission Executive Directors, and other formative partners. Video retrospectives and memorable remarks honored the past vision while celebrating current achievements.
Dr. Shannon Smith- Better Together: Communication that Builds Trust and Changes Outcomes
Dr. Shannon Smith is a mother, physician, entrepreneur, and Leadership Strategist & Communication Coach committed to helping families thrive through clearer communication and stronger connections.
Drawing on neuroscience and real-life experience, Dr. Shannon Smith introduced practical, trauma-informed communication tools that helped participants better understand behavior and respond in ways that build trust and connection.
Ken Montrose- Helping the Helpers: Working Better Together
Ken Montrose is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor with a Master’s in Developmental Psychology. He currently serves as the Director of Training and Publications at Steel Minds Training Academy, where he leads initiatives to develop accessible, evidence-based resources for professionals working in dual diagnosis treatment.
Ken’s presentation reminded attendees that you don’t have to be in recovery to help someone in recovery. The sharing of his own personal and professional journey in the drug and alcohol field provided a realistic and at times funny perspective on how to engage not only those with substance abuse disorders, but the supports helping those in recovery.
From Silos to Solutions: Helping Families Thrive
During this informative panel, four judges shared their experience participating in the State Roundtable’s Mental Health Workgroup’s test program. This candid and solutions-focused conversation explored how, through the use of their Local Children’s Roundtable and the tools afforded to them by the Mental Health Workgroup, they were able to perform strength/gap analysis, identify and collaborate with key community stakeholders, and ultimately strengthen the approach to mental health within their county child welfare system.
Handouts
Welcome Letter from Justice Kevin M. Dougherty
2026 Summit Keynote Speakers and Presentation
Be the Difference: Belonging is the Support We Need
Gaelin Elmore, Professional Keynote Speaker, Trainer, Consultant
Wednesday, April 22, 2026; 1:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
What determines if an individual is a “success” story or a “cautionary” tale? Is it talent? Is it resilience or grit? Is it simply luck? Gaelin Elmore knows that stories of caution and success have more things in common than we’d care to admit. He knows because he lived it. Mr. Elmore’s powerful story has motivated and inspired thousands, but instead of using his story to focus on “success,” he uses it to shed light on the importance of belonging and “support.” Throughout this keynote, attendees will be challenged and inspired to be individuals who CARE about belonging, because belonging is ‘the difference’ between a story of success and a tale of caution.
Attendees will learn:
The fundamental difference between stories of “success” vs tales of “caution”
- The transformational power of belonging
- How to support others using the CARE model
Speaker Highlight Introduction Video
Better Together: Communication That Builds Trust and Changes Outcomes
Shannon Smith, M.D., Leadership Strategist & Communication Coach
Thursday, April 23, 2026; 8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
Communication is the cornerstone of successful relationships in professional settings and at home. Yet communication is often more complex than it appears, leading to misunderstandings, defensiveness, and stalled progress.
In this engaging session, Dr. Shannon Smith introduces practical, trauma-informed communication tools that help participants better understand behavior and respond in ways that build trust and connection. Drawing on neuroscience and real-world experience, participants will learn how stress and past experiences influence reactions in difficult conversations. Attendees will gain simple, immediately applicable strategies, including active listening, acknowledgment, curiosity-driven questions, and clear next steps that help move conversations from defensiveness to collaboration. Through real-world examples and interactive reflection, participants will leave equipped to apply these skills with colleagues, families, and the individuals they serve.
From Silos to Solutions: Helping Children and Families Thrive
Thursday, April 23, 2026; 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 a.m.
Panel Presentation:
Pennsylvania is facing a mental health crisis. Together, we must respond. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 2025 Pennsylvania Fact Sheet, there are 2,352,000 adults in Pennsylvania with a mental health condition. That is 7X the population of Pittsburgh. Furthermore, 193,000 Pennsylvania adolescents experience a major depressive episode each year. We can no longer stay in our professional silos. This issue is impacting everyone. We must come together and allow for difficult conversations about the real barriers facing dependent children and their families. The answers and solutions won't come from within our individual silos, but by coming together to find a different way for the children and families we serve. During this presentation, you will hear from four counties doing just that. In the Fall 2025, with the leadership of the Dependency Judge and Child Welfare Administrator, these counties volunteered to test the resources and recommendations of the Mental Health Workgroup. They will share their system gaps and priorities, lessons learned, and suggestions for success as you move from silos to solutions in your own county’s quest to address systemic issues for children and families facing mental health challenges.
Helping the Helpers: Working Better Together
Ken Montrose, Director of Training & Publications, Steel Minds Training Academy
Thursday, April 23, 2026; 2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Families involved in the dependency system often rely on a network of supporters—relatives, friends, mentors, and others—whose influence can either strengthen or complicate someone's recovery journey. This session will help professionals examine strategies to identify, encourage, and develop healthy support systems for individuals struggling with substance use, We will emphasize that supporters recovering from their own substance use can be powerful resources.
Participants will explore why willing supporters sometimes hesitate to engage—especially when past experiences with the recovering individual have been painful—and how courts and service providers can respond with understanding, guidance, and appropriate expectations.
We will emphasize the conference theme, Better Together, and how we can work collaboratively toward the shared goal of promoting safety, stability, and long‑term permanency for children.