NATCHEZ — Approximately 600 people are in Natchez this week for an event that hopes to provide training to those who help at-risk children and youth.

Southern Christian Services for Children and Youth is hosting its 28th annual conference this week at the Natchez Convention Center.

The faith-based organization has served children and youth since 1988.

Southern Christian Services Executive Director Debbie Dobbins, said the conference is an opportunity for professionals and foster parents to learn how to better care for at-risk children and youth.

“We find people who provide training in those services and we find nationally known speakers to come in for us,” Dobbins said.

This year, more than 40 speakers will attend to give presentations about foster care, mental health, substance abuse, grief, autism, child welfare, human trafficking and other issues facing children and youth in Mississippi.

Dobbins said the purpose of the annual conference is two-fold.

“They will learn skills to use with children and youth and we want to energize them to be able to do their job,” Dobbins said. “There’s a lot of burnout with social work.”

The conference began Wednesday afternoon and will continue until noon Friday, when First Lady of Mississippi Deborah Bryant will be presented with the “Looking to the Future” award for her work in promoting child literacy.

“She’s been going around Mississippi reading to children and hugging every child she reads to, and we think that’s really important work,” Dobbins said.

This year’s conference is larger than in years past, she said, because of visitors coming in from Louisiana and Alabama.