We are excited to share the 2026 APA Annual Convention schedule for Division 37 with our membership. Division 37 has many wonderful events and activities planned for this year’s convention, and we hope you will be able to attend as many as possible. Below is the most up-to-date information on Division 37 activities to support your conference planning. APA will be releasing the full convention schedule soon. As a reminder, the APA Annual Convention will be held in Washington, D.C., from August 6–8. There will also be options to attend some activities virtually. Helpful links are provided below for registration, continuing education information, and travel. Some programming is still being updated, and we will share additional details as they become available, as will APA.
We would again like to thank everyone who submitted a proposal, and we also extend a sincere thank you to our dedicated reviewers listed below, who helped select our outstanding programming.
| Sarah Cleary Colleen Sullivan I-An Su Cynthia Brown Linda Ruan Elizabeth Demeusy J'Nelle Stephenson Sandra Bishop Sukhpreet Tamana Alexa Austin Doris Pu Thomas Gross Paula Fite Jheanett Portobanco Austen McGuire Donney Gala | Anya Keomurjian Alexandria Maldonado Anna Washington Sandra Barrueco Amy Dnamashek Monica Barreto Francis Bonadio Alexandria Maldonado Carla Adkison-Johnnson Constance Fournier Kirkland Vaughans Ahmar Zaman Zoe Lapham Anupam Pandey Nerissa Germain-Cronister Shani Jean-Charles |
Symposiums, critical conversations, and award ceremonies
* Continuing education credits available
Thursday, August 6
Early Career and Distinguished Contribution Ceremony
- Presenters: Toria Herd, Kara Finck
- Time: 10:00–11:00 a.m.
- Location: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Street Level: 156
- Description: The 2026 Division 37 Distinguished Contribution to Child Advocacy Award winner, Kara Finck, and Willis Early Career Award winner, Toria Herd, will each give invited addresses about their work related to the awards.
Brief Family Intervention for IDD Families
- Chair: Reyhaneh Razavi
- Time: 2:30–3:30 p.m.
- Location: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Street Level: 146C
- Description: This symposium presents findings from SPARC, a brief family-centered intervention for families raising a child with IDD and a typically developing adolescent sibling. Using four-wave longitudinal data and parallel-process growth models, we identify how conflict knowledge and emotional security change over time and relate to adolescent adjustment and communication.
Friday, August 7
Consensus statement on developmentally appropriate policy and practice for adolescents in foster care- Presidential Address from Kristin Valentino
- Chair: Kristen Valentino
- Time: 8:30–9:30 a.m.
- Location: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Street Level: 144B
- Description: The authors of a new consensus statement highlight the gaps between developmental research and foster care reality. Despite advances in understanding adolescent development, current social service systems fail to integrate these insights. The talk proposes evidence-based recommendations to better support foster youth policy and practice.
Innovative Adaptations of PCIT to Treat Young Children in Child Welfare*
- Chair: Kristin Dean
- Time: F11:30–12:30 p.m.
- Location: Room: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Level Two: 201
- Description: This session will describe two adaptations of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) that target young children with disruptive behavior and trauma histories. We will review the implementation of the PCIT Trauma Directed Interaction (TDI) and PCIT-Toddlers adaptations with community health centers working with families involved with the child welfare system.
Division 37 Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony
- Chair: Apryl Alexander
- Time: 2:30–3:30 p.m.
- Location: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Street Level: 156
- Description: This is the business meeting and awards ceremony for Division 37- Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice. Members of Division 37 are welcome to attend.
Presidential Theme: From Punishment to Possibility: Centering Healing and Possibility for Justice-Involved Youth
- Chair: Apryl Alexander
- Time: 4:00 PM–5:00 p.m.
- Location: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Street Level: 156
- Description: In this presidential address, Apryl Alexander (UNC Charlotte) examines how punitive juvenile justice policies, such as detention, isolation, and long sentencing, undermine healthy development and disproportionately harm marginalized youth. Rooted in the social and structural determinants of health, factors such as community disinvestment, educational exclusion, and chronic trauma exposure can aid in developing effective solutions to youth crime and violence. Drawing on her work, she highlights how family- and community-centered, culturally grounded, and healing-centered approaches, including mentoring, restorative and transformative justice, and community-based supports, strengthen protective factors. Emphasizing a shift from punishment to collective care and reimagination, the session calls for re-examining policies and practices, investing in communities, and mobilizing psychological science to build systems in which justice-involved youth can truly thrive.
Saturday, August 8
Novel Prevention & Intervention Approaches for Bullying/Peer Victimization*
- Chair: John Cooley
- Time: 8:30–9:30 a.m.
- Location: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Level Two: 202A
- Description: There is an urgent need for novel approaches to support youth who have been negatively impacted by bullying/peer victimization. This session aims to help fill this gap through three studies evaluating (1) an individual outpatient intervention, (2) a school-based group intervention, and (3) parent perspectives on an online workshop.
Rethinking Child Maltreatment Training in Immigration Contexts*
- Chair: Aileen Torres
- Time: 3:00–4:00 p.m.
- Location: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Level Two: 208
- Description: This session will provide clinicians with practical guidance for incorporating immigration-related stressors and cultural context into child maltreatment assessments and interventions. It will also present training-focused recommendations that educators and supervisors can apply to reduce bias and improve ethical decision-making when working with immigrant families.
Family Engagement of the Underserved in Schools and Treatment Services
- Chair: Mirian Ofonedu
- Time: 3:30–4:30 p.m.
- Location: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Level Two: 208
- Description: Families seeking educational and treatment services for their children face multilayered barriers, including a lack of providers' knowledge and confidence in family engagement. This session will provide participants with a symbolic experience of the challenges faced by underserved and vulnerable families and best practices for family engagement that improve outcomes.
Poster sessions
In addition to our engaging symposiums and critical conversations, Division 37 will also host two in-person poster sessions. We will also have virtual Division posters available, which can be accessed at any time during the conference through APA’s online poster links.
In-Person Poster Session #1
- Thursday, August 6, 4:00–5:00 p.m.
- Location: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Level Two: Hall D, Solutions Center, Posters
In-Person Poster Session #2
- Friday August 7, 1:00–2:00 p.m.
- Location: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Level Two: Hall D, Solutions Center, Posters
Each of these poster sessions features exciting, timely, and informative research from our division. Example titles are provided below.
- Beyond colorblindness: Evidence-based support for transracial adoptee identity development
- Parenting styles across cultures and relationship with child mental health
- Self-perceptions after parental incarceration: Effects of childhood adversity and treatment-seeking
- Family violence and housing instability: A systematic review
- Investigating the collaborative development of trauma-sensitive strategies
- recreational screen time and child flourishing in a national sample
- Ecological risk-resource profiles for children with special health needs
- Up-to-date barriers to healthcare access for publicly insured children: A random forest analysis
Social hours
Division 37, along with partnering divisions and organizations, will host a variety of social hours and gatherings. APA is also hosting a new event at this year’s convention: Block Party. More information about these events is provided below. We hope you will join us to network and connect with colleagues, as well as celebrating our division and its award winners.
APA DC Block Party
- Friday August 6, 6:15–8:15 p.m.
- Location: Exhibit Hall A, Walter E. Washington Convention Center
- Description From APA: Kick off APA 2026 with a DC Block Party bursting with local flavor, music, and energy. Step into a space that has been transformed with the spirit of Washington, DC. Sample crave-worthy bites, move to the rhythm while listening to local musicians, and soak in the color, creativity, and culture that make DC unforgettable. This is your night to explore, connect, and celebrate, all while supporting local artists, eateries, and vendors.
Joint Social Hour
- Friday August 7, 7:00–8:00 p.m.
- Location: TBD
- Note: This is a joint social hour with the Committee on Children, Youth, and Families (CYF), along with additional child-focused divisions. Updates will be provided as these details are confirmed.
Division Social Hour
- Friday August 7, 5:30 PM – 7:30 p.m.
- Location: Capitol Room at the Marriott Marquis
- Note: This is a joint social hour with the Committee for the Advancement of General Applied Psychology, as well as Divisions 9, 27, 41, and 48.
Division 37 Student Breakfast
- Friday August 6, 6:15–8:15 p.m.
- Location: TBD
- Note: This is open to students and members who would like to meet with students to support professional development and network.
Executive Board Meeting
Division 37’s Executive Board Meeting will be held Thursday August 6, 1:00–2:00 p.m. This event is only open to APA Executive Board members. Information reviewed at the meeting will be shared with the division via the listserv after the convention.