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Thriving Families

Diverse family smiling together
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 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.

 

 

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 posing for a professional 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, ODU Cheyenne Gobel, Accomack Health Department Dr. Pam Hatfield, Norfolk Public Schools Cindy Hunting, Nurse Family Partnership Reynold Jordan, Isle of Wight DSS Lisa Kerry, Chesapeake Public Schools Dever King, Franklin Public Schools Kellen Knight, Portsmouth Public Schools Shawnda LoMonaco, Suffolk Early Childhood Commission Cassandra Major, Child Care Representative Ana Medina, Chesapeake Public Schools Elizabeth Moran-Dewald, Southampton Public Schools Tonya Murphy, Hampton Roads CAP Roberta Newman, Go & Grow Eastern Shore Chanell Paynter, Hampton Roads CAP Janae Powell, Healthy Families Norfolk Mary Riley, Chesapeake Human Services Sarah Rexrode, Franklin Dept.of Social Services Monique Turner-Lopez, The Barry Robinson Center Clint Walters, Franklin Public Schools Elexia Washington, Portsmouth Redevelopment And Housing Authority Lorraine Whitehead, Early Childhood Western Tidewater Michael Wingfield, Western Tidewater Health District
Contact Beth Parker for more information at ParkerEK@ODU.EDU