A regional early childhood conference this past weekend celebrated nearly three decades of success.

More than 800 professionals attended the 28th Annual Child Connect Regional Early Childhood Conference Saturday at the Howell High School campus. The conference was organized by Child Connect for Family Success, a non-profit that provides support, early childhood resources, education, training and other services to families and professionals.

Each year, hundreds of teachers, program administrators, students and social workers choose from multiple presentations and exhibits to explore the latest trends and best practices in the early childhood field. The featured speaker at this year’s conference was Lisa Murphy, founder and CEO of Ooey Gooey, Inc. which works to provide quality workshops and trainings to the industry of early childhood education. Jo Cook, Early Childhood Workforce Development Administrator, described her as, “informative, energetic and hilariously funny - which inspired and motivated the early childhood professionals.”

After the keynote, participants attended their choice of over 75 workshops during three interactive sessions and networked with other early childhood professionals. This year's conference was sponsored by the Kellogg Family Foundation. (JK)