Strengthening Systems So Children Can Thrive

Thriving Wisconsin Member Network:

Family Resource Centers (FRCs) and Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (CCR&Rs)

A Note from the Director
Thriving WI Network Activities
Building Literacy
Hmong Diaspora
WCHSA & Burnett County FRC
Family Strengthening Month
Collaborating Partners Update
Thriving Wisconsin Apparel
Kids Forward State Budget Resource
2025 Wisconsin ALICE Report
Partners in Advocacy Update
Thriving WI & Triple P Advocacy
Family Support Activities
New Five For Families Language

Strengthening WI FRC's
Wisconsin FRC's a Critical Resource
Free Online Parenting Courses
NCFR at Governors Round Table
CCR&R Supports & Services
CCR&R Training Data
Childcaring Inc. Grant
CCR&R Network Training
Upcoming FRC Training
Upcoming CCR&R Training
CCR&R Inc. Annual Conference
Thriving Wisconsin Marketing
Staff & Board Members

A Note from Thriving Wisconsin's Executive Director

From the Executive Director: On the Road, Raising Our Voice, and What’s Next

Spring has been a busy and inspiring season at Thriving Wisconsin! Over the past month, I’ve had the privilege of traveling across Wisconsin to visit many of our incredible Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies. These site visits have been inspiring. There’s nothing quite like seeing the dedication, innovation, and heart that each of the Agencies in our Network brings to their work supporting Wisconsin’s children, families, and early care and education providers. Each visit reaffirms how vital their work is and how powerful our Network is when we work together.

At the same time, our statewide advocacy initiatives have been making waves. Thanks to the passion and leadership of advocates from our partner agencies, we’ve completed over 60 visits with Wisconsin legislators in the past five months! This year we used an in-district approach. The legislators loved visiting our partner agencies, seeing their work in action, and talking with the families and child care providers they support. These visits have been powerful for elevating the stories and needs of Wisconsin families and the early childhood community. They are also fueling real momentum toward meaningful policy change.

And before I sign off, here’s a little something to look forward to:

🎉 We’re launching a brand-new Thriving Wisconsin website in June!

It will feature a fresh new look, easier navigation, and updated tools and resources to better support you and your teams. Stay tuned—we can’t wait to share it with you!

Thank you for your partnership and the passion, persistence, and purpose you bring to this work every single day. I look forward to all that we’ll accomplish together in the months ahead.

With gratitude,

Heidi Luft

Executive Director

Thriving Wisconsin

Building Literacy, Empowering Futures

Thriving Wisconsin was proud to attend the ‘Building Literacy, Empowering Futures’ Gala in support of our partners at the Black Child Development Institute (BCDI) and their vital work. Our aim is to strengthen systems so children can thrive, and meaningful collaboration is key to achieving that goal.

Hmong Diaspora

The year 2025 commemorates 50 years since the Hmong diaspora from Laos. Our staff were honored to attend The Hmong Institute's event and support our partner agency in honoring this important anniversary. Attendees had the opportunity to hear powerful personal stories from Hmong artists, who shared their experiences in refugee camps and how they used tapestry-making to support their families during that time.

Their resilience and creativity are truly inspiring, offering a deeper understanding of the challenges they faced and the journey that brought them to the United States.

We encourage you to explore more events from The Hmong Institute as part of their ongoing Hmong Diaspora Series.

Wisconsin County Human Services Administrators and FRCs

Each month, Wisconsin County Human Services Administrators (WCHSA) gather to discuss key issues impacting families across the state. In May, Thriving Wisconsin and the Family Resource Center of Burnett County's Executive Director, Heidi Jones, were invited to present to County Executives about the importance of family support prevention services.

The presentation highlighted the increased federal funding for Promoting Safe and Stable Families that Wisconsin will be receiving, and how these funds can be leveraged by counties to strengthen primary prevention efforts for families. More than 40 county executives attended the session and gained insight into the role of Family Resource Centers (FRCs) and the value of partnerships between counties and local FRCs in supporting families.

A special thank you to Executive Director Heidi Jones for sharing the inspiring story of your 15+ year partnership with Burnett County Human Services—your leadership continues to make a meaningful impact.

Family Strengthening Month with Legislators

Thriving Wisconsin was honored to join the Prevention Board and partners from across the state in celebrating the final day of Family Strengthening Month. We had the opportunity to hear from Dr. Cynthia Osborne of the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, who presented evidence-based policies identified by her team at Vanderbilt University as effective investments in ensuring children thrive from the very start.

Dr. Osborne spent the morning with Wisconsin’s Children’s Caucus, sharing insights on how these policies can support early development and discussing Wisconsin’s current progress toward implementation.

Learn more about the 5 Years of Progress on the Prenatal-to-3 Roadmap and see how Wisconsin measures up on our own Wisconsin Roadmap.

Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborating Partners Changes their Collaborating Efforts

The Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborating Partners (WECCP) will be transitioning from regional Collaboration calls to a statewide WECCP Forum. This change aims to create a more impactful and inclusive experience by broadening their reach and reducing duplication.

Key Changes:

Statewide Calls- They will now host statewide calls, replacing separate regional meetings.
Continued Focus- Their core purpose of sharing resources and fostering partnerships remains unchanged.
Benefits of the Statewide Approach:
Expanded Reach- Statewide calls will connect professionals from all regions, promoting broader collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Streamlined Communication: Consolidating our efforts will eliminate duplication and ensure efficient communication.

Learn more about Wisconsin Early Childhood Partners here

Thriving Wisconsin's Board Member, Kate MacCrimmon, is Published in an International Journal!

In the International Critical Childhood Policy Studies Journal, Kate describes her experience as a former Wisconsin Family Child Care (FCC) provider and the unique playgroup structure she discovered during a yearlong study in Denmark.

Invite Kate to come and speak to your community about her research at kate.maccrimmon@gmail.com! You can read the full journal article here

Thriving Wisconsin's Logo Apparel Is Now Available For Purchase

We are excited to be partnering with Lands' End to create an opportunity for members and stakeholders to purchase our new logo wear! Visit the Thriving Wisconsin Apparel Store here to have logo wear delivered right to your front door!

Join us in wearing our logo to promote your agency as part of the statewide network that strengthens systems so children can thrive!

Kids Forward's Summary of Early Care & Education in Wisconsin's 2025-2027 State Budget

Child care is unaffordable and unavailable for too many working families. Child care staff are severely underpaid and this critical industry is on the verge of collapse unless there is continued economic support. The Governor’s budget takes several steps to address this crisis in Wisconsin by:

funding the successful Child Care Counts program that supports our state’s child care workforce and increases available and affordable child care for Wisconsin families;
launching a new employer grant program to offer on-site child care and other family supporting services to employees; and
improving the Wisconsin Shares system—which subsidizes child care costs for low-income parents—to increase efficiency, reduce the burden of parent co-pays, and raise child care reimbursement rates.

To read the short summary visit: Early Care & Education in the 2025-27 WI state budget.

NEW 2025 State of Wisconsin ALICE Report Released

Thriving Wisconsin’s Executive Director, Dr. Heidi Luft, is a member of the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Research Advisory Committee. The advisory committee provides insight, review, and feedback on the ALICE reports on Wisconsin. Check out the new 2025 State of ALICE Report on Wisconsin here.

Partners in Advocacy Update

Wisconsin at the National Table!

Thriving Wisconsin, along with the Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention Board and the Family Resource Center of St. Croix Valley, proudly represented Wisconsin at the National Family Support Network Member Convening in Washington, D.C.

That same week, Child Care Aware of America hosted its National Convening in the Capitol, where CCR&R Directors from Child Care Partnership, Northwest Connection Family Resources, and Child Care Resource & Referral Inc. joined Thriving Wisconsin to elevate the voice of Wisconsin’s early childhood community.

Together, Thriving Wisconsin and its members met with numerous federal legislators to advocate for increased funding for both family support services and child care in the federal budget—working to ensure families across Wisconsin have the support they need to thrive.

Thriving Wisconsin Shares Prevention Advocacy Work Nationally

The National “Partnering in Child Abuse Prevention Through Advocacy’ webinar hosted by Triple P America featured panelists from across the country to share their advocacy work on prevention efforts. Thriving Wisconsin’s Assistant Director, Connie Dunlap, was able to share the advocacy work happening in Wisconsin through our Partners in Advocacy and the successful strategies implemented this past year. Watch the recorded webinar to hear from other panelists on their State’s advocacy work and to share in our Wisconsin advocacy successes!

Recorded Webinar: You can view the content shared during the webinar by clicking on the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/pTDaWtspXLtBroeLlTLF88RzybQMeOLOG9EdwToyJ8YlzcZ1xcfovZ9ir14rFlVo.Ctruf3NzN-t0FmYD

Passcode: +6NT&B.4

To view the key points and information covered in the webinar, please download the presentation slides here: Presentation Slides

Wisconsin Biennial Budget Update

The Joint Committee on Finance recently held public hearings across the state to gather input on the Governor’s proposed biennial budget. We extend our sincere thanks to the dedicated Family Resource Centers (FRCs) and Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agencies that participated in these sessions and powerfully voiced the need for sustained funding for family support and child care.

Despite these efforts, the Committee has since met and removed many of the Governor’s proposed child care initiatives from the budget. However, the funding for FRCs remains in the budget at this point. We encourage you to continue contacting your legislators to advocate these critical investments in Wisconsin’s children and families.

The following are Helpful Resources to support your advocacy efforts:

Video Recording of our Advocacy Kick Off Meeting
Too l kit of Advocacy Resources
Advocac y W e bpage
Visit T r ack e r and Legislator Information

Family Support Updates

NEW Language for the Five Strengths

Over the last year, stakeholder groups with multiple perspectives have worked together to provide input to create new names and descriptions of the Five Strengths. Throughout the upcoming year, the Five for Families website, resources and materials will be updated to incorporate this new language!

Thoughtful Parenting: This strength includes learning ideas and skills to meet each child’s needs as they grow and change through every age and stage.

Feelings Matter: This strength includes showing kids how to recognize and manage feelings, solve problems, build positive relationships, take turns, listen, and be kind.

Strong Connections: This strength includes having a network of positive, healthy relationships with people who care about you and your family and places where you and your family feel like you belong.

Inner Strength: This strength includes learning to stay flexible and calm during times of stress, taking care of your own needs and growing from life experiences as parents. Seeing this helps children learn from parents how to build their own inner strength.

Practical Help: This strength includes the resources, supports, information, and opportunities that all families need and should be able to rely on, so that parents and kids can grow. It’s ok to ask for and accept help.

Strengthening Wisconsin's Family Resource Centers

This is a brief from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee's Institute for Child and Family Well-Being on the first phase of the Strong and Stable Families survey.

The study includes 646 families who participated in programming at one of 18 FRCs (listed on the brief) and 1,489 families in the general population. The brief summarizes baseline results related to sample characteristics, family risk and protective factors, and FRC services. The Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention Board, 18 Wisconsin FRCs, Thriving Wisconsin and UW Milwaukee partnered to make this initial study possible. Phase two is underway for the study – more information will be available in 2026. You can read more about the study and findings from phase one here.

Wisconsin Family Resource Centers: A Critical Resource for Wisconsin Families

The Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board and Thriving Wisconsin worked with a local consultant to create a NEW resource about Wisconsin FRCs. We heard from several FRC leaders and staff that there is confusion about what a FRC does in communities and how they are uniquely different from other community based agencies. This resource combines some of the current FRC research, the landscape of FRCs in Wisconsin, and how they are uniquely different in supporting families in local communities. You can read the full report here.

FREE Online Parenting Courses!

Through funding from the Department of Children and Families, Children's Wisconsin is offering FREE online Triple P parenting courses to all Wisconsin parents/caregivers! Over 4,755 individuals have benefited from these free parenting supports, which have courses covering the following topic areas:

Triple P Baby
Triple P for parents of children 0-12
Triple P Teen
Triple P Fear-less (for children experiencing anxiety)

To learn more or to request access to the free online program visit here

Early Care & Education

Northwest Connection Family Resources Invited to Governor's Round Table Discussion

Governor Evers held a roundtables throughout Wisconsin with several CCR&R Directors invited to attend the various events. At the discussion in Northern Wisconsin, Northwest Connections Family Resource's Executive Director attended and advocated along side Jeff Pertl, Secretary-Designee of the Department of Children and Families, to address early childhood issues. About 25 people attended the invitation-only session where key topics included challenges in finding workers, the Child Care Counts program, and the cost of care.

Participants voiced concerns about funding sources and the increasing demand for child care. The Governor outlined proposed budget items to support child care and sought ideas for solutions, such as a loan forgiveness program for child care employees and adjusting caregiver-to-child ratios to include changing the infant age from 24-month to 18-month-olds. While these issues were not resolved, child care program directors and owners were heard and valued for their experiences and feedback.

Childcaring, Inc. Awards $100,000 Grant to Expand Child Care Access in Wood County

Childcaring, Inc. is proud to announce the award of a $100,000 Capacity Building Grant to Children’s House of Montessori, a local licensed group child care center. This critical funding, provided by the American Rescue Plan Act through Wood County, is aimed at addressing the ongoing need for increased child care access in Wood County and central Wisconsin.

The $100,000 grant will support Children’s House of Montessori in expanding its capacity by creating new child care slots, enhancing facility infrastructure, and supporting the needs of the community. The funding is part of a broader initiative to invest in sustainable, long-term solutions to the region's child care shortage. This award reflects Childcaring’s commitment to strengthening early childhood systems and supporting working families across the region.

“This grant is a game-changer for our center and the families we serve,” said Megan, Director of the awarded Children’s House of Montessori. “We’ll be able to welcome more children into a safe, nurturing environment while also providing better support for our educators. This investment helps ensure that parents in our community can go to work knowing their children are receiving high-quality care.”

Childcaring’s Executive Director, Kelly Borchardt, emphasized the importance of community collaboration and innovation in addressing the region’s child care challenges. “This funding is not just about expanding a building—it’s about strengthening the foundation of our workforce and supporting the well-being of families,” said Borchardt. “We’re thrilled to see this grant going to a center that’s deeply rooted in its community and dedicated to growing access for those who need it most.”

For more information about Childcaring’s grant programs and services, visit www.childcaring.org.

CCR&R Network Training Webpage!

The Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) Upcoming Trainings webpage provides a list of trainings available through the CCR&R Network. This list gives providers options for taking trainings that work with their schedule.

Information on Delivery Method (In-Person, Virtual, Online, or Blended), Agency offering the training, and Start and End Date of the training are included in the list.

Check out CCR&R Upcoming Trainings

Providers can view a full list the following trainings:

Child Care Foundational Trainings (Introduction to the Child Care Profession, Fundamentals of Infant and Toddler Care, Skills and Strategies for the Child Care Teacher, and Fundamentals of Family Child Care).
Health and Safety (Abusive Head Trauma Prevention with Mandated Reporter, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Reduction, Pediatric First Aid, and Infant and Child CPR with AED).
Wisconsin Pyramid Model (8 Part Series, Infant/Toddler 8 Part Series, e-Modules with Reflective Coaching - Birth to 5, and e-Modules with Reflective Coaching - Preschool).
Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards
Strengthening Families through Early Care and Education with Mandated Reporter
Other (Basic Heath and Safety Topics, Onboarding New Staff, Understanding Regulatory Requirements, and Supervising Children).

Note: The upcoming training events listed on this page are not an exclusive list. To find more trainings, visit your local CCR&R's training calendar by clicking on their logo at the bottom of the webpage.

Upcoming Events

Upcoming FRC Professional Development Training

Play Group Best Practices (June 11 & 18)
Bringing The Protective Factors Framework to Life In Your Work (September, October, November)
Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening & Support

(October 1 & 2)

Click here to register and learn more about each offering and information for how to register.