RSVP to Our Family Celebration on May 18th at the Ohio Statehouse!
We're less than two weeks away from the big event! Join Ohio families, early childhood professionals, community leaders, and policymakers on Wednesday, May 18, 2022 at 12:30PM ET outside the Ohio Statehouse for Groundwork Ohio's Family Celebration, a kid-friendly celebration of families with infants, toddlers, and young children.
At the Family Celebration, you’ll join hundreds of Ohioans from across the state to show your support for parents, families, and caregivers to Ohio’s youngest children. You’ll also cheer on members of Groundwork Ohio’s Family Action Network, who will be at the Statehouse the morning of May 18th to share their stories with state legislators.
We encourage you to bring your young ones to join the celebration. There will be kid-friendly entertainment and music, exciting guest speakers, and more!
After you RSVP, be sure to invite your friends, family, and community members to join the Family Celebration! Download our promotional toolkit for content you can share on social media, email, and more.
Blog: The Impact of Trauma on Young Children of Color and Their Families
Studies show that Black children are more likely to experience more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) than their peers. Additionally, as Groundwork Ohio’s Early Childhood Dashboard Preview illustrates, young Black non-Hispanic children are more likely to be treated or judged unfairly due to their race or ethnicity compared to white children.
This week, Groundwork Ohio published a guest blog examining the impact of racial disparities, trauma, and adversity on children's health, with a focus on trauma among Black youth. The blog, written by Gloria Blevins, President of National Black Child Development Institute - Cleveland, makes a strong case for why policymakers and community leaders must act to address the mental health needs of young Black children and their families.
Join Us in Welcoming Cherrelle Turner to the Groundwork Ohio Team!
Groundwork Ohio is thrilled to welcome Cherrelle Turner to the Groundwork Ohio team as our new Director of the Center for Family Voice. As Director of the Center for Family Voice, Cherrelle will drive the Center’s work to elevate the voices of families with young children in early childhood policy and advocacy to achieve programmatic, policy, and practice changes at local, regional, and state levels.
Most recently from a space of cross-sector impact at the crux between non-profits and child welfare, Cherrelle wields a breath of administrative leadership experience in mobilizing equitable solutions for children and families. With attention to public relations and the realities of public systems, Cherrelle’s career has maintained an emphasis on workforce development, program development, and causal correlations with social determinants of health. Her career has remained astutely focused on improving public systems and associated experiences to enhance the intergenerational success of individuals, families, and communities.
Alongside an amazing team at Groundwork Ohio, Cherrelle is eager to further prioritize and support the advocacy of her home state’s growing family units during the earliest stages of life. Join us in welcoming Cherrelle to the team!
Panel Discussion: How Policies & State Budgets Impact Health and Well-Being
Today, Friday, May 6 at noon ET, join the Ohio State University Roundtable on Actions Against Racism (ROAAR) for a virtual discussion on how policies and state budgets impact the health and well-being of a community. During the moderated discussion, you'll hear from early childhood experts and advocates like Groundwork Ohio President & CEO Shannon Jones and Franklin County Commissioner Erica C. Crawley!
ROAAR is a series of panel conversations featuring community, business, and government leaders along with Ohio State University health care experts addressing the issues of systemic racism. Each panelist is invited to share their expert opinion on the issue and provide one action item that their organization will implement to develop safe and healthy communities.
Check Out Groundwork Ohio's New Spotify Playlist!
Ahead of Groundwork's Family Celebration on May 18th at the Ohio Statehouse, we recently asked members of our Family Action Network to share some of their favorite songs to listen to and sing together with their children. We created a Spotify playlist with those responses and included them in the line-up of songs that will be played during the Family Celebration on the Statehouse lawn.
We hope that this playlist ignites excitement surrounding the Family Celebration! We invite you to listen to our playlist by visiting www.groundworkohio.org/spotify.
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