Grantees: Parent Ed/Support

Click here to download grantee summary reports.

Dad Guild

Dad Guild uses a multifaceted approach to engage father figures in their caregiving roles. Since 2019, the organization has developed and implemented over 600 hours of programming to a growing network of nearly 800 fathers across the state of Vermont. The Dads & Kids program is the organization’s most popular, attracting over 200 unique participants (including 90 dads) in the 2021-22 fiscal year. In this program, dads and their children meet up at playgrounds, sporting events, restaurants, nature trails, and libraries to connect with one another. Fathers participating in the playgroups
strengthen and grow their own peer support network, while children who participate benefit from strengthening their relationships with their own fathers.

Good Beginnings of Central Vermont

Babywearing enables caregivers to bond with their newborns, manage stress, and care for their baby and themselves. Families worldwide have carried their babies for centuries. But for many families today, babywearing can be expensive - and overwhelming. Carrier options are confusing and complicated; a good quality carrier may cost over a hundred dollars. Many new parents give up after one failed attempt because they lack sustained support and the ability to try different carriers until they find a good fit for their needs. This program breaks down barriers to babywearing via
individualized fitting assistance, practical information on how to carry your baby, and access to a variety of carrier types in a supportive, judgment-free environment.

Janet S. Munt Family Room

Family Play is a year-round weekly drop-in parent-child interactive play and literacy group for parents and caregivers with children ages 0-5 to offer parent education and support featuring a variety of groups and classes to promote cross-cultural relationships and family health and wellbeing. The program happens on-site from October-May and at a summer nature garden from June-September. Family Play takes place in a community environment featuring supportive experiences, positive expectations, and self-care to effect intergenerational change. With every adult caregiver who participates, there is at least one child who is also benefiting from these nurturing and
supportive experiences.

King Street Center

For the last six months, King Street Center has been engaged in a strategic planning process with a heavy focus on equity to better approach our work in an anti-racist and anti-bias way. We have met with and listened to our families, alumni, staff, board, volunteers, and partnering organizations to learn about experiences, where opportunities to grow exist, what needs aren’t being met, and what KSC means to this community. Among many ideas, one of the most pressing needs we have heard is that parents needs more support, assistance, and connection. To that end we plan to hire a Family Support Specialist to coordinate services, support, and training to assist families in meeting the needs of their children and prevent crisis situations.

NEK Community Growth Center

NEK Community Growth is creating a program to implement targeted Family Support. Our Family Support specialist will have continuous engagement with all our families, support families if they need assistance with child care subsidy applications, help support families facing housing crisis, food insecurities, reach out to local community partners on behalf of the family to ensure they are getting the support needed from each agency they work with or want to be involved with. The Family Support Specialist will schedule and do outreach events with our center and families with the intentional purpose that our families will feel close and connected to our center, their child’s teacher and the Family
Support Specialist.

Outright Vermont

Outright is building a VT where all LGBTQ+ youth have hope, equity, and power. A crucial step is ensuring that they have supportive adults in their lives - starting at home. According to The Trevor Project’s National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, “LGBTQ youth who report having at least one accepting adult were 40% less likely to report a suicide attempt in the past year.” The goal for our family programs (TransParent, Panorama, Gender Creative Kids) is to equip parents and caregivers to be that accepting and supportive adult. This year, we will add a new member to our Family Programs team, allowing us to increase participation, expand offerings, reach new regions, and apply new innovative approaches to our work alongside families.

Reinbow Riding, LTD

This program is a pilot developed by Reinbow Riding Center (RRC) in collaboration with Rutland Mental Health’s Early Childhood division. RRC is a PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) member center with PATH certified instructors. PATH is an international organization that teaches and certifies instructors to administer programs. The goal of this program is to provide prevention techniques to families via a therapeutic equine experience to those who have experienced significant traumatic stress. By focusing on the caregiver/child relationship our goal is to provide tools by which a healthy and mutually satisfying relationship can develop and be maintained. Our goal is to support the strengthening families initiative. 

Sunrise Family Resource Center - Brain Lab Playgroup

Sunrise is Bennington County’s Parent Child Center, and our mission is “Strengthening Families”. Sunrise works in partnership with individuals, families, and community members to provide a variety of supports and services. These services promote the growth and development of individuals and families through encouragement of strengths, expansion of opportunities, and support in times of stress. With this opportunity, we will host a pilot Brain Lab Playgroup, for our Early Care & Education and Learning Together Program participants. Brain Lab focuses on building the parent-child bond and promoting brain development in young children through positive serve and return interactions, using research-based strategies.

Sunrise Family Resource Center - DADS

Sunrise is Bennington County’s Parent Child Center, and our mission is “Strengthening Families”. Sunrise works in partnership with individuals, families, and community members to provide a variety of supports and services. These services promote the growth and development of individuals and families through encouragement of strengths, expansion of opportunities, and support in times of stress. With this opportunity, we will start a monthly program, DADS (Dads Always Discovering Success). We will invite father figures and their children to join in enriching activities, in
partnership with the Vermont Arts Exchange. Together with their children, they will cook, create art, learn, grow, be present, and build social capitol with other fathers.