At our Texas LLL Area Conferences and now co-sponsored WIC-LLL
Statewide Conference. Children are welcome in all sessions.  We offer
a large CE program and draw over 100 professionals from around the
state.  We had a total of 1400 men women and children at our last
conference.  By making it clear children will be welcome and by
monitoring noise and distracting activity closely and asking parents
od loud or distracting children to please step out, we have had a
minimum of complaints about noise level and many more positive
comments on how amazing it is that it works with so many kids.  This
past conference we also had a video of the conference while it was
going outside the room , so if a mother had to leave, she could still
hear the speaker and if she had a wandering toddler, she could
monitor 5-6 sessions at once. We also have CE tables at the front and
ask families to keep kids at the back.  I think we all learn as much
from watching babies and mothers and fathers and siblings as we do
from the speakers. It can work and we need to find ways to get it
working in other places.  Cathy Liles