National Adoption Association (NAA) 2026 National Conference - Boston

Anthony Barrows will share his experience in the foster care system as an anchor for why he searches for the root cause of family separation. This search led Anthony to become a powerful advocate within the anti-poverty movement.  
This riveting keynote is part lecture and part call-to-action to members of the NAA community. Anthony will offer a rationale for why we must build partnerships across silos to truly improve outcomes within the systems where we work. As a person who has dedicated his professional career to improving outcomes for marginalized communities and as someone with personal experience in public systems like foster care, public housing, safety net programs, and juvenile justice, Anthony shares how he is living the experience. Attendees will understand why we must all take the leap to expand our sphere of influence– as Anthony did, to truly change and improve systems for children, youth and families.