The Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation (GWCHF) is pleased to announce investments totaling $815,000 - a combination of newly awarded grants and continued payments to agencies supporting children and families in Dodge and Jefferson counties. The following grants have been made since October 2020.

Social emotional wellbeing provides a foundation for academic achievement, success in the workforce and overall health. Recent investments in systems that support the social emotional wellbeing of our community include:

GWCHF's Pandemic Response Grants support agency needs, service adaptations and revenue losses caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Recent pandemic response grants have been awarded to:

Pandemic Response Grants are available through December 31. Learn more here.

High-quality early care and education is critical for working parents and those seeking employment, and for children to learn skills needed for school success. In Dodge and Jefferson counties, there are significantly more children under the age of 5 - about 5,000 - than there are licensed child care spots available. To help solve this problem, the Foundation is supporting the Watertown Area YMCA in leading multiple agencies through a one-year planning process to expand access to high-quality early care and education in our community.

When parents and caregivers have the knowledge and skills to support their children as they grow, they are more likely to thrive! Positive Parenting Program grants are supporting the Hustisford, Lake Mills Area and Watertown Unified School Districts as they continue to implement the Positive Parenting Program.

These districts are three of 11 providers who are being supported by GWCHF in offering this program at no cost to parents and caregivers in Dodge and Jefferson counties. Seminars, discussion groups, classes and one-on-one support offerings are helping families to spend more time learning and growing together, and less time dealing with stress and misbehaviors.

Register today for virtual Positive Parenting programs scheduled in May & June. Please see the article below for dates and registration links.

Community Collaboration Grants support efforts that build a sense of connectedness between people or create/enhance community spaces where individuals can be active together. Through this program, the Village of Clyman received funds to complete upgrades at their community park.

Community Collaboration Grants are available on an ongoing basis. Learn more here. 

Health Equity Spark Grants are designed to spark community dialogue on the topics of equity, diversity and inclusion. They were created to support learning journeys for agencies and grassroot groups such as youth groups, civic and faith organizations on topics such as racism, bias and discrimination. Through this grant program, the Foundation is pleased to support the Dodge County Society of Human Resource Management in offering a conference on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. More information and registration will be available in the coming weeks at the following site: DodgeCountySHRM.com.

Health Equity Spark Grants will be available through December 31. Learn more here. 

TalkReadPlay’s FREE Positive Parenting Program offers support for parents and caregivers of children 0-12 in Dodge and Jefferson counties. Register today for upcoming programs!

Positive Parenting Program providers can work one-on-one with parents to design a plan to meet their family's needs. Click here for a list of topics that can be addressed.

If you are willing to distribute promotional materials to families and/or are interested in hosting a parenting seminar or discussion group for your organization, please email us. For more information and program registration, visit talkreadplaywi.com/parenting.