| Every young person deserves a clear path to safety, stability, and opportunity. On Thursday, July 16 at 10 AM CT, CHILDREN AT RISK will virtually host the Child Safety, Security & Opportunity Summit: Systems-Change for the Next Generation to explore how communities and systems can work together to help youth stay connected before they are in crisis. Young people who are disconnected from school or work often face more than one challenge at a time. Many are also navigating foster care, juvenile justice, healthcare, housing instability, or other public systems. When those systems are hard to access or difficult to move through, young people can be left without the steady support, safe relationships, and clear pathways that help protect them from exploitation. With the right support, that risk can become opportunity. Across the country, communities are helping young people reconnect through paid work experiences, mentorship, case management, mental health support, transportation assistance, technology access, and strong employer partnerships. These approaches help youth build skills, stability, and a future they can see themselves in. This year’s summit will share data, insights, and practical solutions that help young people stay connected, supported, and safe. Together, we will explore how workforce, foster care, juvenile justice, and healthcare systems can better support youth most at risk of disconnection and exploitation, and how communities can build stronger pathways to safety, stability, and opportunity. | 
