TRC 2026 Summit
International Summit 2026
The summit is being hosted by Professor Lisa Holmes (School of Education and Social Work) at the University of Sussex, in partnership with the Association of Children’s Residential and Community Services (ACRC) and the International Work Group on Therapeutic Residential Care (TRC). The event is supported by an International Committee, listed below.
Why Now?
In recent years, a growing and increasingly vocal lobby has called for the elimination of all forms of residential group care for young people of all ages. Such arguments, however, often lack the nuance and complexity that characterise contemporary child welfare systems. The diverse needs and circumstances of children and their families, and the corresponding need for a varied range of service responses, are frequently overlooked in analyses that rely on binary comparisons between family‑based and other forms of out‑of‑home care. These reductive debates risk presenting children’s residential care as a single, homogeneous form of placement, rather than recognising the substantial variation in purpose, model, and practice.
About the Summit
This two‑day, in‑person summit provides a timely opportunity for those working in the field of children’s residential care to come together and explore the question: “What Constitutes Quality in Children’s Residential Care? Measuring what matters to children and their families.”
The programme has been designed to foreground the voices of those with lived experience of residential care, alongside practitioners, policy leaders, and researchers. It includes a rich mix of keynote lectures, panel discussions, and extended workshops to facilitate in‑depth dialogue, critical reflection, and the sharing of knowledge and expertise.
Organising Committee
Jim Whittaker (USA)
Jorge del Valle (Spain)
Sigrid James (Germany)
Martha Holden (USA)
Kari Sisson (USA)
Christopher Bellonci (USA)
Trish McNamara (Australia)
Bethany Lee (USA)
Chiara Monti (Italy)
REGISTRATION RATE
£275/$375 Early Bird* – Register by 30 June
£350/$475 Full Rate
WHAT IF I NEED TO CANCEL MY IN-PERSON REGISTRATION?
If you need to cancel your in-person registration for ANY REASON before August 7th , we will offer a full refund minus a $50 processing fee. If you need to cancel your in-person registration August 7th or later, we will offer you the option to send a colleague in your place, no refunds will be available.
INTERNATIONAL SUMMIT: PROGRAMME
*TUESDAY 15 SEPTEMBER*
REGISTRATION
TIME: 8.30-9.30am
WELCOME AND CONFERENCE OPENING
TIME: 9.30am
LUNCH
TIME: 12.30pm
CLOSING
TIME: 7pm
*WEDNESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER*
COFFEE AND NETWORKING
TIME: 8am
KEYNOTES
TIME: 9am
LUNCH
TIME: 12.45pm
CLOSING
TIME: 4pm
DETAILED PROGRAMME BELOW
The Summit will take place at the University of Sussex. The campus is located at Falmer, on the outskirts of Brighton, within easy reach of London and major international airports at Gatwick and Heathrow. The campus is easily accessible by public transportation (trains and buses) from Brighton. Directions to the University HERE
- Campus Map – Join us in the Jubilee Building – Learn More HERE
- Accommodation Booking Site – Book Now
- Visiting Brighton – Learn More HERE
The International Work Group for Therapeutic Residential Care (TRC) is a small invitational association of international researchers, scholars, and practitioners dedicated to the continuous improvement of high quality therapeutic residential services through research, cross-national dialogue and dissemination of evidence-based information.
PROGRAMME
TUESDAY 15 SEPTEMBER
TIME: 8.30-9.30am
REGISTRATION
TIME: 9.30am
WELCOME AND CONFERENCE OPENING
TIME: 10am
OPENING: Role and Purpose of Residential Care (international contributions)
Lucy Butler (England)
Kiran Modi (India)
Sigrid James (Germany)
Lisette Burton (US)
TIME: 11am
BREAK
TIME: 11.30am
PANEL DISCUSSION: What Does Quality Mean to Young People (panel led by Celeste Walley – ACRC)
Celeste Walley (US)
TIME: 1.30pm
WORKSHOP SESSION 1
TIME: 12.30pm
LUNCH
TIME: 3pm
BREAK
TIME: 3.30pm
WORKSHOP SESSION 2
TIME: 5pm
POSTER SESSION
TIME: 7pm
CLOSING
WEDNESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER
TIME: 8am
COFFEE AND NETWORKING
TIME: 9am
KEYNOTE: Quality, Stability and Outcomes for Children in Children’s Homes – New Evidence from Research
Prof Rick Hood (England)
TIME: 9.45am
KEYNOTE: A Decade of Quality Therapeutic Residential Care: Innovations, Evolving Standards, and Future Considerations
Prof Shamra Boel-Studt (US)
TIME: 10.30am
QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS
TIME: 11am
BREAK
TIME: 11.30am
PANEL DISCUSSION: What Does Quality Mean to Practitioners (panel led by practioners)
TIME: 12.45pm
LUNCH
TIME: 1.30pm
WORKSHOP SESSION 3
TIME: 3pm
PANEL DISCUSSION: Wrap Up, Reflections and Looking Forward
TIME: 4pm
CLOSING