Dr. William C. Bell: There’s power in Communities of Hope
At the 2026 CarePortal Annual Conference, President and CEO Dr. William C. Bell spoke about Casey Family Programs’ Communities of Hope framework, delivering an inspiring message on the transformative power of collective action in child welfare.
Reflecting on his 43-year career spanning roles from caseworker to New York City child welfare commissioner to Casey Family Programs president and CEO, Dr. Bell spoke on the nation’s movement away from a deficit-focused child welfare framework to a proactive system centered on child, parental and family well-being.
Dr. Bell called for leaders in all five sectors of communities — government, business, philanthropy, nonprofit and faith-based, and community members themselves — to work together to support families.
CarePortal uses technology to connect children and families in need to resources and ongoing supportive relationships. This year’s conference theme was Uncommon Care — care that doesn’t stop with meeting a need but opens the door to deeper connection. About 800-900 leaders and CarePortal partners representing the five community sectors attended the conference.
Watch the entire speech in the video.
