Closing the Disparity Gap for Racial and Ethnic Minority Children: An Investment in Our Future

The Office of Minority Health (OMH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), is sponsoring the First National Child Health and Child Welfare Conference.

The conference will be held on Wednesday, October 27 - Friday, October 29, 2004, at the Loews L'Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC.

For details you can go to the official website at www.namsinc.org/omhchildren where you can register for the conference, review a preliminary Agenda At-A-Glance", and find detailed travel and hotel information. There is no registration fee for the conference but space will be limited.

The theme for this year's meeting will address the health and welfare disparities of racial/ethnic minority children, bridging the health and human services systems, and achieving positive outcomes for racial/ethnic minority children.

HHS divisions and community-based organizations provided important input to OMH on this conference. These entities include:

• Administration for Children and Families
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Coalition for Asian American Children and Families
• Committee for Hispanic Children and Families, Inc.
• Health Resources and Services Administration
• National Consortium for African American Children
• National Indian Child Welfare Association
• National Institute for Child Health and Human Development
• National Latino Children's Institute
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Please share the website address with your colleagues and professional contacts who may have an interest in attending the conference.