From Foster Care to Success! Derek Clark is an inspiring Keynote Speaker on Childhood Trauma, Foster Care, Child Welfare and ACE’s
Derek Clark is an inspiring conference keynote speaker on childhood trauma, ACEs, child welfare and foster care. If you are seeking to train your staff on trauma-related topics, Derek Clark has extensive experiential knowledge in the field and provides inspiring keynote speeches based on personal life experiences and research.
About Motivational and Inspirational Keynote Derek Clark
Derek’s first five years of life was full of brutal child abuse, aggression, anxiety, learning disabilities, small and large motor skill issues, a vocabulary of less than 100 words (at 6 years old) and had many emotional and behavioral issues. At the age of 5, he was abandoned at an emergency psychiatric unit in the San Francisco bay area. After spending time there getting evaluated and diagnosed, he would then endure 13 years in the Alameda County (San Francisco Bay Area) foster care system. During this time, he lived an early life of overwhelming anxiety and deep emotional distress. Based on the ACE test reflecting adverse childhood experiences while growing up in a toxic and chaotic home environment, his ACE score of 10 indicated the amount of trauma he experienced at an early age.
Despite the adversity that Derek had to survive as a young child, he didn’t let his childhood trauma hold him back or infect his future. With the help of loving foster parents, a compassionate social worker and a few positive modeling adults that mentored him, he overcame his childhood trauma and now helps others in the same situation. Derek became a popular and inspiring motivational speaker, trainer and an author of seven books.
His most notable works include:
- Disable the Label: Never Limit the Potential of a Child
- Never Limit Your Life: From Personal to Professional Success
- I Will Never Give Up
- I Will Never Give Up for the Teenager
Derek’s adversity, mental toughness and personal triumphs have inspired many school districts, county workers, state and federal conferences, nonprofit events, fundraisers, and many other organizations with his inspiring and informative message of unwavering courage, hope resilience and redemption. International world organization SOS Children’s Village, located in 134 countries, awarded Derek the International Foster Care Award for his work.
Derek has also been featured on many TV shows around the world as well as a guest on The Steve Harvey TV Show and an expert on The Ricki Lake TV Show. Derek’s “Rapping Dad” videos have gone viral and have had over 250 million views.
Derek Clark’s Inspiring Keynote Speeches and Presentations
Derek’s most popular conference keynote presentations are:
- The Power of Hope, Love and Connection
- From Brutal Childhood Trauma to the Power of Resilience and Redemption
- You Cannot Think Negatively About a Child and Expect to Have a Positive Outcome
- Never Limit Your Life
- The Spirit of a Child: From Rejection to Connection to Direction
- If You Will Believe, The Child Will Achieve
- Critical Needs of Children and How to Help Them Thrive
He speaks on all of the following topics:
- Childhood Trauma
- Resilience
- Motivation and Determination
- Trauma Informed Care
- Early Childhood Development – First 5 and Headstart
- Connection verses Correction – Connecting with grieving children and youth
- ACEs – Adverse Childhood Experiences
- Never limiting life
- Mental Health and Behaviors
- Juvenile Justice
- Early childhood development
- Child Abuse Prevention
- Foster Care and Foster Parent Training
- Social Workers and Child Welfare Workers
- Employee burnout
- Fundraisers
During these presentations, Derek engages the audience by discussing not only credible research but also his own personal adversity growing up in foster care and his triumphant victories. He leaves the audience inspired, empowered and rejuvenated. His strategies help professionals create optimal outcomes for children, youth and society.
Professionals who work with survivors and victims of childhood trauma, foster care and the child welfare system, will love Derek’s inspiring presentations.
Looking for samples of Derek’s work?
Check out this fantastic TEDx talk on The Power of Determination: It’s not about your IQ; It’s about your I-WILL. You can also keep up with his exciting journey by following his on his Facebook page or his viral video Rapping Dad page.
If you are looking for an inspiring motivational speaker for your next conference or organization’s event, contact Derek here to book him as your next keynote speaker or training.
Have Derek Clark speak at your next childhood trauma, trauma informed care, ACE’s or child welfare conference. Derek is a top conference keynote speaker on childhood trauma and foster care. Visit here for more information.
