STRONG FAMILIES
This issue features just a few snapshots of our work toward the priority of Strong Families. From the incredible development occurring at Watertown Family Connections, to supporting better community spaces, to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library... a community that supports its families is a community that will thrive long into the future. How are we doing? Read more about Strong Families and view our Every Child Thrives scorecard.
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Growing, learning and transforming:
A journey toward excellence at Watertown Family Connections
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The opportunity: Weaving a web of support for families of all shapes and sizes, whose needs range from minor to acute, using nationally-recognized best practices and a deep commitment to continuous improvement.
The investment: A $170,675 grant to Watertown Family Connections to support the agency in expanding its mission and scope to best serve the needs of young families.
The results: They are breathtaking, actually. And, like all amazing visions, they are a continuing work in progress. This is a story you’ll want to read to the end.
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Since 1994, Watertown Family Connections (formerly Watertown Family Center), has been a welcoming hub of support for area families with newborns to five-year-olds, providing free programs and services.
Over the past two years, this organization has changed nearly everything about the way it functions–fearlessly moving toward an updated mission statement, creating and filling new roles, embracing national standards with training for staff, board and parent leaders, and embarking on a continuous improvement cycle that measures their impact on the lives of those they serve.
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Oh, and they’ve also moved to a new location inside the TalkReadPlay Center at the Watertown Public Library, with all the strategic planning entailed in developing a mutually beneficial partnership that plays on each organization’s strengths and avoids duplication of services.
The force behind this mighty endeavor? Meet Stephanie Curtis, who joined the nonprofit in 2005 as Executive Director, and whose leadership–along with that of her board of directors–has strengthened the organization and provided guidance for its future. Curtis is passionate about building relationships across sectors to better support children and families.
“We have grown so much,” says Curtis. When she first started at the family center, it focused on playgroups and parenting classes. “For the last few years, we’ve been building evidence-based practices, helping grow social connections, baking best practices into every program and procedure… we are adding value in ways our families don’t even realize.”
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A new location, a one-stop shop
Change at Watertown Family Connections began with a proposal to move the nonprofit’s headquarters to the Watertown Public Library. The new TalkReadPlay Center recently celebrated its grand opening as a beautiful, state-of-the-art learning space within the Watertown Public Library that combines fun family learning activities with access to a network of resources conveniently embedded. In addition to the playspace, the TalkReadPlay Center includes meeting rooms where families can connect with other community partners right within the library.
Growing wings, as a resource network backbone
As planning for the shared TalkReadPlay Center began, the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation (GWCHF) identified the need for a resource network for families–building relationships with different partners in the community so families could have a one-stop-shop and a warm hand-off to the appropriate agency. Curtis and her organization agreed to serve as the backbone, which began a learning journey, researching national standards and best practices.
“We realized it was an opportunity to create something even more amazing than we were already doing,” says Curtis.
As part of this learning journey, Curtis and her organization discovered and embraced the Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening & Support, among other evidence-based tools. These Standards are shared nationally by family resource centers, and serve as a comprehensive framework for establishing or growing a family resource center.
The Standards serve as a blueprint for implementing best practices throughout an organization’s processes, from customer service, to programming, to how they work with their board. The Standards emphasize family strengths and incorporate tools like motivational interviewing and trauma-informed practices… all proven to better outcomes for families.
“Playgroups in the Park, our parenting classes… all of these things work together,” says Curtis. “We focus on building relationships. Once the trust develops, we might learn of more needs, like a transportation breakdown, or need for diapers.”
At Watertown Family Connections, staff, board and parent leadership attend training in the Standards, which serve as a roadmap as the organization continues to grow into its new mission.
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5 for Families
“The evidence-based 5 for Families model is part of the national Standards,” says Curtis. “It’s baked right into everything we do from playgroups to parenting classes and more.”
Research has shown that these 5 Protective Factors increase family stability, enhance child development, and reduce child abuse and neglect.
5 essential strengths for families:
• Helping kids understand feelings
• Parenting as children grow
• Connecting with others
• Building inner strength
• Knowing how to find help
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Programs and services
Watertown Family Connections focuses on strength-based programs that use family-centered practices, and reinforce the 5 for Families protective factors. All programs and services are evidence-based or evidence-informed:
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Parenting support programs: Triple P (Positive Parenting Program), PIWI and Infant Massage.
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Child development activities: Talk Read Playgroups, Parent and Child Enrichment (PACE) Playgroups, Incredible Years Baby & Me, and PIWI - Parents Interacting With Infants.
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Individualized support: helps families set and achieve transformative goals to become more self-reliant.
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Resource network: Strong network of community partners that can support families with housing, food, health and dental care, education, employment assistance, transportation and more.
Watertown Family Connections continues to grow, and is currently hiring a new Triple P coordinator and bilingual parenting educator.
“We have genuinely reinvented ourselves,” says Curtis. “We’re not the same old family center. We’re growing. We’re proud of our successes. Evidence-based practices, building those Standards into everything we do… we just want to deliver the best for our families.”
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Bartels Beach playground update:
Safer, lower-maintenance, and built with love
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The opportunity: Creating a memorial project to help the community’s children, as a way to honor former Lake Mills School Superintendent Dean Sanders, who was deeply involved in his community, and especially his local Rotary Club.
“Dean’s value to the community was immense and we wanted to do something meaningful in his honor,” says Police Chief and fellow Rotarian Mick Selck.
In consultation with Sanders’ family, who had donated memoriam funds received in his honor to the Rotary Club, they hoped to donate a piece of playground equipment.
“But the dialogue grew,” says Selck. “and so did the vision.”
The group met with a recreation company with ties to the community, and determined that with a generous discount, they could aim higher. They developed a playground design concept and set a fundraising goal of $25,000… which they achieved with record ease.
“There was so much excitement and enthusiasm from members of the Rotary Club and particularly former School Superintendent Pamela Streich,” recounts Selck. “They just had a bigger vision and so much positive energy.”
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What they did: The project grew… and grew again. Eventually, they selected a $50,000 playground design, and added a “poured-in-place” rubber surface to their plan. They partnered with the city, and continued to raise funds, including a $20,000 donation from the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation. In the end, project costs totaled about $140,000.
Results: Instead of a single piece of new equipment, the group created a new crown jewel for Bartels Beach, the city’s popular recreation area.
The project, with the poured-in-place rubber finish, a new sidewalk, and new equipment makes the playground safer for children, lower maintenance for city crews, and adds accessibility for people using wheelchairs.
So far, the community’s kids seem to love their new gift, which started with the thoughtfulness of the Sanders’ family. A dedication ceremony in honor of Dean Sanders is planned for Saturday, September 3rd.
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Grand opening of TalkReadPlay Center
located at the Watertown Public Library
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Mayor Emily McFarland and some little helpers cut the ribbon at the Grand Opening celebration for the TalkReadPlay Center at Watertown Public Library. |
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Andi Merfield (r) and Makayla Giese (l) from GWCHF were on hand to sign families up for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. |
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Diversity|Equity|Inclusion: What we're reading |
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Our staff and board of directors have been focusing on DEI behind the scenes, creating a workplan that makes the Foundation a more powerful force for equity and inclusion. The first step is learning... and we have been tackling an article or two each month. In this space, we want to share what we've been reading and invite you to join us on this learning journey.
One recent piece we read is The Water of Systems Change. It's a great article explaining the blind spots that many grantmaking organizations miss when it comes to lasting, powerful change, and how they are beginning to recognize the larger systemic issues that may be dampening their desired outcomes. A quote:
"...government policies, societal norms and goals, market forces, incentives, power imbalances, knowledge gaps, embedded social narratives, and many more. These surrounding conditions are the “water” that many foundation leaders are exploring more deeply."
If you read nothing else in the article, we recommend skipping ahead to page 12 and learning about The California Endowment and their radical shift in addressing health disparities for a glimpse of where forward-looking philanthropy is headed.
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Open Grants Focus on Improving Community Health for All |
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GWCHF is currently accepting proposals for four open grant cycles.
Changemaker Grants provide support for agencies working to improve health equity for those they serve, while focusing on the social determinants of health.
Capacity Building Grants are for agencies looking to advance their missions by developing leadership skills or strengthening organizational efforts.
Submitted proposals must directly support the communities served by the school districts of Dodgeland, Hustisford, Ixonia, Jefferson, Johnson Creek, Lake Mills, Waterloo and Watertown.
To date, the Foundation has invested more than $14 million in its five strategic, child-focused priorities: Strong Families; Kindergarten Readiness; School Success; Social Emotional Wellbeing; and Healthy Eating/Active Living.
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Related Articles (click on the links to read)
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Video: 5 for Families - The Five Strengths - Wisconsin Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board
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920.390.4000
600 East Main Street, Suite 200, Watertown WI 53094
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