Concord, NH— New Hampshire Children’s Trust (NHCT) held its 12th annual Strengthening Families Summit: Building Hopeful Futures Together on October 29, 2024. The conference drew 320 parent leaders, strengthening family professionals, practitioners, and community members from around our state and beyond.
The Summit was an engaging experience that explored community investment in family strengthening and community-building throughout New Hampshire. Keynote Jennifer Jones, Chief Strategy Officer at Prevent Child Abuse America, introduced the transformative Theory of Change framework where she helped all attendees recognize their crucial role within a cohesive primary prevention ecosystem. Participants discovered up to three actionable ways to contribute to fostering purposeful and joyful lives for New Hampshire's children and families, while staying aligned with the guiding North Star principles. This session gave valuable insights and practical strategies that empowered attendees to make a meaningful impact in their communities.
Eight engaging workshop sessions were offered throughout the day which focused on: supporting individuals through loss and grief, police social work in NH, building trauma responsive communities, family friendly workplaces, connecting with new American families, and strengthening unhoused families.
The afternoon included an engaging plenary presented by Scott Noyes, which focused on genuine happiness and how we are all capable of changing our emotional satisfaction with life and how this could influence raising children, working with parents and caring for ourselves.
Two awards were also presented at the Summit: The Lucy Fowlkes Breed Award was presented to Dr. Leo Sandy of Chesterfield who volunteers for the NH Department of Corrections Family Connections Center. The Dr. Robert Chamberlin Award was presented to Mollie White of Twin Mountain who is the Executive Manager of the Coos Coalition for Young Children and Families.
Thank you to the following sponsors for their support of the Summit:
Community Sponsors: Bank of New Hampshire, NH Charitable Foundation, Burgoo Media
Family Sponsors: Couch Family Foundation, DHHS-Maternal and Child Health, Exeter Hospital, NFI North, Northeast Delta Dental, Service Credit Union
Friend Sponsors: AmeriHealth Caritas NH, BackBay Networks, Community Action Partnership of Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties, Eastern Bank, Granite Edvance, Mount Prospect Academy, NEEBCo, New Futures, NH Healthy Families, UpReach Therapeutic Equestrian Center, WellSense Health Plan, W.S. Badger
Neighbor Sponsors: Associated Grocers of New England, Autism Care Partners, Bangor Savings Bank, Behavioral Health Improvement Institute of Keene State College, Compass of Hope Counseling, Diocese of Manchester, McLane Middleton, National Alliance on Mental Illness-NH, NH Association for Infant Mental Health, NH Chapter-American Academy of Pediatrics, NH Children’s Health Foundation, Save the Children Action Network, Waypoint
For more information visit: https://www.nhchildrenstrust.org/strengthening-families-summit
New Hampshire Children’s Trust ensures parents have access to high-quality resources and support to help children develop the skills they need to thrive. We educate direct-service professionals, advocate for better policies to support parents, and connect with local agencies to strengthen families and lay the foundation for children's success. The mission of NHCT is to lead the drive to ensure safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments for children by educating, advocating, and collaborating.
For more information about New Hampshire Children’s Trust visit www.nhchildrenstrust.org.
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