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🧒 Expanding Child Care Capacity
The Childcare Tactical Team gathered over 65 partners this spring to advance several new expansion efforts:
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Stratford School District site in development to serve ages 2 to 5, will open its doors on the first day of the school year
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GCLC expansion progressing with contractor RFPs out, and officially signing on purchase/construction loan in the next couple months
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Directors Network is continuing their work on a regional fiscal sponsorship model, and has been officially incorporated as Evergreen Start
➡ Effective July 1, the Coalition officially transitioned leadership of the childcare strategy to the Coös Directors Network, while remaining a committed strategic partner.
🧠 Building Emotional Resilience in Children
Substantial training progress this quarter:
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Growing Great Kids – 76% of partner staff trained
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Pyramid Model – 56% trained
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Conscious Discipline – 62% trained
Next: in-person training sessions, more precise implementation tracking, and enhanced workgroup coordination.
🧑⚕️ Behavioral Health Tactical Team Launch
With support from Keene State’s Behavioral Health Improvement Institute (BHII), we began planning and data collection through interviews and upcoming focus groups with caregivers and providers. These efforts will inform the development of non-clinical community-based responses via a regional convening.
📋 Universal Screening Rollout
Four successful community-wide screenings were held in Littleton, Gorham, Whitefield, and Colebrook. Plans are moving forward to roll out ASQ Online across Coös County to improve screening access and data coordination.
👨👩👧 Raising Strong Families
Efforts continue toward scaling the program and building a sustainable funding model. We’re exploring various funding streams, including Medicaid billing options in partnership with DHHS, to preserve the model's integrity while making it financially viable.
🏫 Supporting Kindergarten Transitions
All seven regional teams engaged in productive pre-kindergarten-to-kindergarten transition activities this spring. As we look to the 2025-26 school year, Shelli will support facilitation in Colebrook and Gorham, with new regional leads identified for 2025–2026.
We look forward to continuing to plan an annual ECC summit, where regional workgroups will help co-design a summit that meets their needs and highlights their essential work.
🔧 Behind the Scenes: Strengthening Our Coalition
During the May Leadership Team retreat, we took significant steps toward building an even stronger organization:
- Streamlined consultant roles and welcomed Shelli as our Operations Coordinator
- Launched a participatory budgeting process to align funding with partner and system priorities
- Updated terms for the Coalition’s Co-Chairs and Advisory Council members:
- Welcome our newest Advisory Council members:
- Gabrielle Flanders, Family Resource Center
- Joanne Kawecki, Northern Human Services (Infant Mental Health)
- Clarified expectations around participation and leadership
These changes are rooted in our commitment to adaptive leadership, transparent governance, and strategic financial stewardship.
🗣 Elevating Family Voice
Family Leaders are actively represented across all Coalition workgroups. A five-module Family Leader Onboarding Program is in development and will launch this fall, creating a stronger and more inclusive leadership pipeline.
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