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Our Focus

The Thriving Families Working Group helps give families the knowledge and resources they need to nurture their children. Attention is placed on the family’s critical role in their child’s development.

We seek to ensure that all families possess:

  • Parental resilience
  • Social connections
  • Knowledge of parent and child development: Early Childhood Mental Well-Being Resource
  • Concrete support in times of need
  • Socially and emotionally competent children
  • Nurturing relationships and strong attachment to their children

Current Priorities

  • Promote Resources757.org so families and their advocates can find and use Hampton Roads resources.
  • Align parent education programs across the region so parents can easily find them.
  • Launch The Basics Hampton Roads, a community mobilization campaign promoting family interactions which support optimal early childhood development.
  • Develop and maintain three Ready Region Family Councils, representing our three Southeastern sub-regions (Eastern Shore, South Hampton Roads, and Western Tidewater) to help find solutions to the challenges of raising children who are healthy, thriving, and ready to learn.
  • Implement, promote and maintain Parent Cafe programming in the South Hampton Roads, in partnership with United Way of South Hampton Roads and CHIP of SHR, providing a safe and reliable space for parent bonding and support.  
It's wonderful to hear about initiatives like Minus 9 to 5 that are dedicated to supporting families and promoting early childhood development. Family engagement and community support play crucial roles in ensuring the well-being and proper development of young children. Initiatives like these not only provide resources but also create a sense of community and support for families in the Hampton Roads area.
Lisa Kerry headshot
Lisa Kerry Chesapeake Public Schools

Working Group Members

Mary Bradshaw, Early Childhood Western Tidewater 

Shannon Bradshaw, Parent Council representative

Ann Beamer-Williams, Pediatric Sleep Consultant

Erika Crosby, Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia

Shannon DeCarlo, Northampton Dept of Social Services

Aditi Dutt, The Up Center

Zach Elder, Chesapeake Public Libraries

Katie Farrell, Accomack Public Schools

Mozella Francis, Northampton Dept of Social Services

Tanger Francis, Eastern Shore Head Start

Shikee Franklin, Hampton Roads CAP

Lisa Gehring, Teaching & Training Assistance Center, ODUCheyenne Gobel, Accomack Health DepartmentDr. Pam Hatfield, Norfolk Public SchoolsCindy Hunting, Nurse Family PartnershipReynold Jordan, Isle of Wight DSSLisa Kerry, Chesapeake Public SchoolsDever King, Franklin Public SchoolsKellen Knight, Portsmouth Public SchoolsShawnda LoMonaco, Suffolk Early Childhood CommissionCassandra Major, Child Care RepresentativeAna Medina, Chesapeake Public SchoolsElizabeth Moran-Dewald, Southampton Public SchoolsTonya Murphy, Hampton Roads CAPRoberta Newman, Go & Grow Eastern ShoreChanell Paynter, Hampton Roads CAPJanae Powell, Healthy Families NorfolkMary Riley, Chesapeake Human ServicesSarah Rexrode, Franklin Dept.of Social ServicesMonique Turner-Lopez, The Barry Robinson CenterClint Walters, Franklin Public SchoolsElexia Washington, Portsmouth Redevelopment And Housing AuthorityLorraine Whitehead, Early Childhood Western Tidewater Michael Wingfield, Western Tidewater Health District

Contact Beth Parker for more information at ParkerEK@ODU.EDU

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Building the Evidence Base

The Basics approach is grounded in the latest research in early childhood learning, brain development, behavioral science and community change.

An ongoing research agenda engages The Basics Learning Network (BLN) communities in documentation and evaluation for continuous learning and improvement. The Basics aims to assess implementation progress against goals; track key outcomes with respect to community saturation, partner organizations, parents and caregivers, and children; uncover areas for improvement and innovation; and identify lessons and principles that can be shared within the multi-city BLN and the field at large.

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