Coos Coalition Workgroup Updates - October

Community Building Workgroup

Facilitator: Deb Dunlap

Last Meeting 10/22/23

This new group; made up of family leaders, have been busy establishing themselves in an effort to help the Coalition with their strategic goal of increasing community involvement. They have met with the Community Stewards, Ford Foundation, and Campus Compact.

Family Leadership Workgroup

Facilitator: Deb Dunlap

Last Meeting 10/02/23

The Family Leaders have been trailblazing paths for parents and caregivers to have opportunities to meaningfully contribute to the work being done that impacts them. They are putting careful time and consideration into what that would look like and then how to ensure caregivers' time, perspective, and expertise are welcomed and valued. Attention to how they are recruited, trained, supported, and compensated are all being explored.

Policy and Funder Workgroup

Facilitator: Airole Warden

Last Meeting 7/24/23

The Policy and Funding Workgroup had an incredible inaugural year! This group started so that the Coos Coalition could explore how to start being involved proactively with advocacy to better support the work that is being done. Lucas Meyer came on as an advocacy mentor and this group dove into policy work. Facilitator Airole Warden quickly became a sought-after advocate from the North Country being asked to present, speak, and attend multiple forums representing the Coos Coalition. She was featured on WMUR for her testimony in Concord, she was asked to speak at a NH Charitable Foundation event along with being represented in their annual report, and she even received an Advocate in Action award from New Futures. The group used their newly established relationships to host a childcare round table in Gorham in the Spring. They also were an integral part of Senator Shaheen visits to our region to discuss childcare. After not only meeting but exceeding everything this workgroup set out to do and with the childcare crisis, it was decided by Coalition Leadership that this evolved version of the Policy and Funder's Workgroup will now be the Childcare Policy Workgroup and be held under the umbrella of the Director's Network. Airole will stay at the helm and lead this transition and a more general Policy and Funder's Workgroup will stay under the Coos Coalition and meet quarterly. This will allow the Childcare Group to continue with their progress and important work and will also give the Coos Coalition a forum to stay abreast of other policy and advocacy work that relates to the overall work being done for children and families in the North Country. 

Screening & Referral Workgroup

Facilitator: Mollie White

Last Meeting 9/11/23

The group is working on a closed loop referral process guide for partners. They continue to think about a sustainable and effective referral system amongst partners (that is not person dependent). New Coalition website has launched and there is a quick referral form that caregivers and / or referral partners can fill out that will go straight to FRC Resource Navigators who will then support the referred person with warm hand-offs and get them connected to all applicable community supports and services they are interested in.

Professional Development Workgroup

Facilitator: Andrea Muller

Last Meeting 9/11/23

Communicate opportunities and improve support, region-wide, for a set of evidence-based strategies for educators and families that have been shown to improve child SEL development. Focused activities supported by the group include: Growing Great Kids, Conscious Discipline, Pyramid Model, Ages and Stages Questionnaire, and Mindful Practices. Additionally, the group has agreed to collaboratively support two multi-tiered frameworks for schools and early childcare centers to implement universal supports and targeted interventions for some students.

Raising Strong Families Workgroup

Facilitator: Deb Dunlap

Last Meeting 10/11/23

This cross-sector (Head Start, FRC, Gorham School, NHS, CCFHS, NH Food Bank) group continues to meet monthly to provide intensive wrap-around services to 5 families with complex needs in the Berlin / Gorham area. Group is currently writing a manual and being evaluated by Pear Associates.

Leadership Team Workgroup

Facilitator: Debra Dunlap

Last Meeting 10/12/23

The Leadership Team has formed a steering committee to start planning their strategic planning sessions (slated to start in Jan 2024). Team will meet with Family Leaders to discuss integrating family voice and next steps. Family Leaders will attend next meeting and have been asked to share with providers examples of missteps and recommendations for genuinely engaging caregivers. Also, a Childcare Task Force has been formed and hope to be action oriented and identify / build solutions to the issues in childcare.

Fun With Data Workgroup

Facilitator: Mollie White

Last Meeting 6/20/23

Stay tuned for data from Insight Vision!

Early Childhood Connects Facilitator Workgroup

Facilitator: Andrea Mueller

Last Meeting 10/11/23

Six regional Early Childhood Connects group across Coos County meet regularly, bringing early childhood professionals and schools together to work on smooth transitions and school readiness for children entering kindergarten and in turn the facilitators of these six groups meet making up this workgroup. The groups are thinking about how to bring in family voice and also planning their bi-annual summit; featuring this topic, this fall. Stay tuned for event registration information.