The Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation (the Foundation) is thrilled to announce receipt of a $5 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

"We are honored that such a prominent national donor is investing in our rural communities," said Dr. Mike Sullivan, Chair of the Foundation Board of Directors. "We are one of very few organizations in Wisconsin to receive such an honor, and I see it as a huge vote of confidence in our community's work to positively impact children and families."

Nationally, only a small percentage of philanthropic dollars make their way to rural regions, where leaders wear many hats and often lack the resources to apply for grants.

Scott is an American novelist and philanthropist who made headlines earlier this year by donating $3.8 billion to just over 400 organizations. On her blog, Scott noted that approximately 60% of the grantee organizations in the spring of 2022 were women-led and 75% were led by "people with lived experience in the regions they support and the issues they seek to address." The $5 million donation to the Foundation belongs to a new round of giving by Scott, the full extent of which has not yet been announced.

The gift dovetails with the five-year anniversary of Every Child Thrives, the Foundation-led partnership that aligns more than 50 Dodge and Jefferson County partner agencies around the shared goals of building strong families, supporting kindergarten readiness, and promoting early school success.

"We are humbled and honored to accept this incredible gift on behalf of our partners across Dodge and Jefferson County," said Tina Crave, Foundation President and CEO. "This spring, we were interviewed by a consulting firm representing an anonymous donor who wanted to learn more about our Every Child Thrives partnership. We were asked how regional partners align resources to shared goals and how the partnership utilizes data to ensure all children have the opportunity to be as healthy as possible. To be selected through such a rigorous vetting process is confirmation that our work is on the right track."

Every Child Thrives uses a collective impact approach, which is recognized as a leading model to create lasting social change. By aligning resources around shared goals and agreed-upon measures (including a community scorecard), and focusing on the root causes underlying key health issues, the collaborative makes more of a lasting impact than each organization might in acting alone.

"This investment is recognition of the powerful leadership of our Every Child Thrives partners across the region," said Kathi Cauley, Director of Human Services for Jefferson County and Chair of the Every Child Thrives leadership council. "Our work in ensuring every child gets a good start in life is profound and challenging. We would not attract this type of external investment if not for our shared commitment to community-level goals, good data to guide decision making and humble willingness to continually do better for our children and our community."

The gift will accelerate the Foundation's ability to address key priorities, including improving access to desperately- needed early care and education and increasing the supply of workforce housing. The investment comes at a pivotal time as the Foundation recently announced a $16 million investment in a 55,000 square foot former corporate center and 90 adjacent acres along the Rock River on the city's south side. The corporate center will be repurposed to house a new YMCA Child Care and Early Education Center, a satellite Express YMCA, Jefferson County Head Start, and nonprofit and innovation coworking spaces. The Foundation plans to transform the campus into a thriving work-live-play neighborhood that models best practices in community connectedness, health and wellbeing.

"A donation of this size will allow the Foundation to expand the breadth and depth of our investments, particularly in housing and early care and education. said Crave. "We hope this external investment will inspire our local leader partners to continue co-investing in collaborative efforts to build strong families and communities."

The Foundation's mission is to inspire collaboration, mobilize resources and encourage innovation to measurably improve the wellbeing of our community. Created out of the 2015 joint venture transaction between Watertown Regional Medical Center (WRMC) and LifePoint Health, the Foundation continues to steward WRMC's legacy of community investment, mobilizing endowment earnings from the original transaction along with ongoing charitable contributions from WRMC and investments from local, state and national partners.

Every Child Thrives is led by a Transformation Council, whose role it is to drive our collective work. Its members include:

• Rebecca Bell, Dodge County Health & Human Services Director
• Kathi Cauley, Jefferson County Human Services Director
• Peg Checki, Watertown Public Library Director
• Elizabeth Chilsen, Jefferson County Public Health Program Manager
• Tina Crave, Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation President & CEO
• Suzanne Hoppe, Renewal Unlimited Executive Director
• Jon Lange, Glacial Community YMCA Chief Executive Officer
• Carol Quest, Watertown Department of Public Health Director
• Jarred Burke, Watertown Unified School District Superintendent
• Jessica Johnson, Dodgeland School District Administrator
• Mary Ann Weiland, Jefferson County Head Start Director

To date, the foundation has invested more than $34 million in its five strategic, child-focused priorities:

• strong families
• kindergarten readiness
• school success
• social and emotional wellbeing
• healthy eating/active living

Every Child Thrives is driven by team members from the following organizations: Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Wisconsin, Church Health Services, City of Watertown, Community Action Coalition for South Central WI, Community Care Preschool & Child Care, Community Coordinated Child Care (4-C), Dodge County Human Services & Health Department, Dodgeland School District, Fort HealthCare, Future All Star's Academy, Gingerbread Preschool and Child Care Center, Good Shepherd Lutheran School, Green Valley Enterprises, Inc. (Dodge County Birth to 3), Hustisford School District, Jefferson County Circuit Court, Jefferson County Head Start, Jefferson County Health Department, Jefferson County Human Services Department, Jefferson County Literacy Council, Johnson Creek Public Library, Juneau Public Library, Kiddie Kampus, Lake Mills Area School District, Mary Linsmeier - Watertown, Reeseville Public Library, Renewal Unlimited, Inc (Dodge County Head Start), Rock River Community Clinic, Safe Families for Children - Jefferson County, School District of Jefferson, Shared Mission Group, St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church & School, The Gathering Source, The Open Door Coffeehouse, Trinity St. Luke's Lutheran School, United Way of Dodge County, United Way of Jefferson & North Walworth Counties, UW-Madison Division of Extension Dodge County, Watertown Area YMCA, Watertown Chamber of Commerce, Watertown Department of Public Health, Watertown Family Connections, Watertown Family Practice, Watertown Police Department, Watertown Public Library, Watertown Regional Medical Center, Watertown Unified School District, Willows Christian Child Care Center, WI Alliance for Infant Mental Health, WI Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention Board, and WI Office of Children's Mental Health.

The Foundation's mission is to inspire collaboration, mobilize resources and encourage innovation to measurably improve the wellbeing of our community. Created out of the 2015 joint venture transaction between Watertown Regional Medical Center (WRMC) and LifePoint Health, the Foundation continues to steward WRMC's legacy of community investment, mobilizing endowment earnings from the original transaction along with ongoing charitable contributions from WRMC.

To learn more about the foundation and supported initiatives, visit www.watertownhealthfoundation.com or Facebook at Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation.

Two Habitat for Humanity homes under construction in Juneau are getting a push closer to completion thanks to an area organization.

Thecla Harris, director of development for Habitat for Humanity of Washington and Dodge counties, said the affiliate received a $70,000 grant from the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation in August. The grant provides support for agencies working to improve health equity for those they serve.

"Having safe housing is crucial to one's well-being," she said. "And once you have that, it really has a positive ripple effect within a family."

Harris said the GWCHF grant came at a time that was critical for the ecumenical Christian housing ministry to purchase much-needed construction materials for the home builds. She noted that prior to the pandemic the budget for a Habitat home in this area was $90,000. That budget has now increased to $136,000 per home.

"With Habitat's first time building in Juneau in over five years, the affiliate has cast a wider net to meet and connect with businesses and foundations in Dodge County," she said.

Habitat Executive Director Russ Wanta said the gift from GWCHF puts the nonprofit organization in a better position to serve more families in the community.

The John Deere Foundation and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation are build sponsors for 2022.

Habitat's Director of Programming Paul Piechowski, Site Supervisor Rob Greuel and supervisor Michael Caputa have been leading a long list of volunteers on the Juneau house builds since May. The organization uses volunteers to help keep costs lower so that the homes are more affordable for families who ultimately purchase them.

Located on South Main Street, the two new houses are being built simultaneously. Each home design consists of three bedrooms, two bathrooms, an open concept kitchen/living room and a two-car garage. The homeowner selection process is in its final stages and the keys are expected to be handed over to the families in February.

Daily Citizen

HUSTISFORD — The Village of Hustisford received grant money from the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation to help its residents stay active, which includes new basketball standards, an interactive concrete walking path and new landscape walls.

Hustisford Village Board Parks Chairperson Bob Knueppel said Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation President and CEO Tina Crave sent the village an email in March of 2021 offering the village the opportunity to develop its trails, parks and other recreational opportunities for its community members.

He said the GWCHF offered the village an active-living grant of up to $100,000 that required no matching funds from Hustisford. Knueppel also said the GWCHF offered the village a grant of $50,000 for Talk/Read/Play equipment for the park.

"The village board, parks committee and Sinissippi Recreation Department put their heads together to come up with ways to utilize this funding," Knueppel said. "We sought ideas from the community. We had needs that exceeded these grant totals, so we had to figure out our most important needs that fell within those parameters. When all was completed, the GWCHF gave us grants of $166,785 for the projects."

Knueppel said the talk/read/play grant amounted to $66,785 for playground equipment and interactive signage in Hustisford Lions Park for two age groups: 6 to 23 months old and 2 to 5 years old.

He said the active-living grant helped pay for new basketball standards in Hustisford Lions Park, $3,500; an additional sand volleyball court in Hustisford Fireman's Park, $11,000; an interactive concrete walking path through Hustisford Lions Park, $28,100; and new landscape walls in the spectator area of the Hustisford Fireman's Park, $57,400.

Knueppel said the project cost of the new landscape walls cost the village more than $330,000.

"The GWCHF contribution helped us to get the funding we needed to complete this project," he said.

Watertown Daily Times

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The Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation announced Tuesday it has purchased the former Bethesda corporate office building and 90 adjacent acres for $16 million on the city's south side. Gathered to celebrate Tuesday's news, from left, are Jeremy Otte, Community Action Coalition; Dr. Mike Sullivan and Tina Crave, both are of the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation; Kim Schooley and Jon Lange, both are of the Watertown Area YMCA; Amanda Combs, Safe Families; Kathi Cauley, Jefferson County Human Services; Ben Wehmeier, Jefferson County administrator; Cindy Moon-Mogush, AbleLight; Mary Anne Weiland and Danielle Nelson, both of Jefferson County Head Start and Watertown Mayor Emily McFarland.

Watertown Daily Times

The Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation (the Foundation) is proud to announce the purchase of the former Bethesda Corporate Center and 90 adjacent acres along the Rock River on the city's south side. The Foundation plans to transform the campus into a thriving work-live-play neighborhood that models best practices in community connectedness, health and wellbeing.

Over the next 10 months, the former Corporate Center will be renovated, reopening in the summer of 2023 as The Collective. In 55,000 square feet over three floors, The Collective will house a new YMCA Child Care and Early Education Center, a satellite Express YMCA, Jefferson County Head Start, and nonprofit and innovation coworking spaces. In its entirety, members of The Collective will be a vibrant community of changemakers championing strong families and a prosperous community.

Development of The Collective and adjacent property is an exciting next step toward the Foundation's vision of vibrant communities where everyone enjoys health and wellbeing. The project will also catalyze development in one of the City of Watertown's priority development areas.

"Collaboration is foundational to everything the Foundation does, and this campus will provide many opportunities for community partners to collaborate in improving community vibrancy and wellbeing," said Dr. Mike Sullivan, Foundation Board Chair.

Since 2017, the Foundation has facilitated Every Child Thrives, a partnership of 50+ agencies across Dodge and Jefferson Counties working to ensure all children thrive in health, learning and life. The Collective campus investment is designed to accelerate transformative impact toward Every Child Thrives' strong families and prosperous community goals. The community benefits of this project include:

• Creation of a new, high-quality early care and education center with capacity to serve 126 children.
• Nonprofit service colocation so families can access wrap-around supports in one, convenient location.
• Sharing of office space, resources and services to provide efficiencies for nonprofit service providers, allowing agencies to focus time and attention on those they serve.
• Shared professional development to advance community impact.
• Wellness programming to support healthy lifestyle and strengthen community.
• 80+ acres of housing development. A needs assessment is being completed now and a community master planning process will launch in late 2022 to identify how the neighborhood can address the housing shortage affecting all demographic groups in our region.

"The Collective is more than just a work space," says Tina Crave, Foundation President &CEO. "It's a catalyst for our mission, which is to inspire collaboration, mobilize resources and encourage innovation that measurably contributes to the wellbeing of our community."

The Collective will serve as an innovation center, piloting best practices for childcare business sustainability. Outreach from The Collective to early care and education providers across Dodge and Jefferson Counties will connect providers with resources to improve quality of care and operational effectiveness.

The Watertown Area YMCA also announced plans for The Collective to be the future home of the new, full-size YMCA. The YMCA would be developed in two phases based on the support of community donors. Phase one would relocate current operations from the old Watertown High School with amenities including a Gymnasium, Wellness &Free Weight Center, aerobic activity studios and Youth Center. The second phase would center on the addition of a state-of-the-art aquatic facility for instruction, recreation and water safety. The YMCA will release details of future plans as they become funded.

A shared investment in community

"The Collective is a dream we've explored behind the scenes for many years," says Crave. "After exploring several options, from building new to repurposing space, we are excited to bring these dreams to life at this location."

Total capital costs to purchase the 90 acres, renovate and finish the 55,000 square foot Collective are budgeted at $16 million. Jefferson County and Dodge County have each allocated $200,000 and the City of Watertown has allocated $400,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to support The Collective's goals of increasing access to quality child care across the region.

"One of the goals our city council set was to use our ARPA funds in a manner that the impact of the funds lasted well beyond the funding itself," Mayor Emily McFarland said. "There is no doubt about it that our community needs more child care slots; I've seen the data and I've heard it during nearly every business visit I've done. I'm thankful to the Foundation for leading this effort, to the YMCA for being an incredible community partner, and to the city council for allocating this level of involvement. It will make an incredible impact on workforce availability, on the families in our community, and on the children in care. In government, you don't always get the opportunity to be a proactive and strategic leader of change; I'm thrilled we get to be a part of that with this project."

In addition to serving as the new headquarters for the Foundation, The Collective will serve as home for the following agencies:

Watertown Area YMCA

A cornerstone partner in this project, the YMCA will open a new Child Care and Early Education Center and a satellite Express YMCA in 2023.

• The Child Care and Early Education Center will provide high quality, 5-star accredited care with space for 126 children, including twice as many infant and toddler positions as a typical Center would hold. The Center will offer better than industry average wages for staff and the Y intends to develop collaborative relationships with area businesses related to childcare fees for their employees. These strategies aim to further support and stabilize the child care industry as a whole.
• The Express YMCA will offer 24 hour access to health and wellness opportunities for all levels, including cardio equipment, weight machines, and group exercise spaces for traditional classes, small group training, and virtual/on-demand classes. The space will have amenities that cater to those who are new or returning to exercise. An EGYM circuit will offer personalized workouts that are effective and fun with technology that tailors the experience for each specific individual. "We like to say it's the last new space of the old YMCA and the first space of the new YMCA (to be added)" said Jon Lange, YMCA Chief Executive Officer.
• Future plans include the relocation of existing YMCA operations to The Collective with a new, full facility YMCA.

Jefferson County Head Start - A federal- and state-funded preschool program focusing on school readiness for 3-5 year old children, at no cost to eligible families.

AbleLight (formerly Bethesda) - Provides life-changing services that empower people with developmental disabilities to achieve their full potential.

Community Action Coalition - A nonprofit working to end poverty and help people live better lives.

Safe Families for Children - A professionally supported volunteer movement dedicated to providing "extended family-like supports" to local families facing a crisis.

Jefferson County Human Services - Enhancing the quality of life for individuals and families living in Jefferson County by addressing their needs in a respectful manner and enabling citizens receiving services to function as independently as possible, while acknowledging their cultural differences.

Innovation coworking space - This coworking space invites community changemakers from all backgrounds and sectors into The Collective. A selective leasing process will prioritize civic-minded entrepreneurs and businesses who are looking to share space with a network of community changemakers.

Leases will include private workspace with wraparound amenities that foster connection and provide efficiencies, including:

• Shared, technology equipped conference rooms
• "The Atrium" a networking and event space with a grand view
• Private Zoom rooms
• Quarterly networking and collaboration events
• Shared professional development and networking
• Onsite early care and fitness facilities
• Shared café space
• Shared utilities and services (wifi, printing, lawn care, waste removal)

Benefits for all

The Collective is a shared investment in community prosperity, ultimately lifting families, agencies, volunteers and businesses.

• Families will benefit from the addition of badly-needed early care and education slots, along with convenient access to a variety of support services.
• Children will enjoy a five-star learning environment, preparing them for success at school.
• Volunteers will enjoy a coordinated approach that connects them with meaningful, timely tasks that benefit a variety of agencies.
• Agencies can strengthen their reach and effectiveness with:
• Reduced operating costs (economies of scale, stable and affordable office space, shared services), and
• Broadened capacity, impact and sustainability (resources, professional development, collaboration and operational support).
• The community will enjoy vibrant new civic spaces.
• Civic-minded entrepreneurs and businesses can find a home that is much more than just office space, joining a forward-thinking community of changemakers.

Renovation plans and Timeline

• August, 2022 Purchase property Begin remodeling The Collective
• Fall, 2022 YMCA will kick off capital fundraising campaign to raise funds for a full new YMCA Community members will be invited to participate in a Master Planning process for future neighborhood development
• Spring, 2023 The Collective opens

• strong families
• kindergarten readiness
• school success
• social and emotional wellbeing
• healthy eating/active living

To learn more about the foundation and supported initiatives, visit www.watertownhealthfoundation.com or Facebook at Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation.

The opportunity: Who can parents turn to when things get tough? For some, it's trusted family members. Others may have a close circle of friends. Unfortunately, too many families are going it alone. Some struggling parents just don't have people nearby they can turn to.

That's where Safe Families for Children (Safe Families) comes in. Safe Families provides family-like supports to parents experiencing social isolation. Active in over 40 states, Canada and the UK, Safe Families was established in Wisconsin in 2014.

Safe Families is a network of volunteers who help isolated families get back on their feet. The volunteer community helps support families during a temporary crisis or difficult season.

The solution: The Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation (GWCHF) is proud to have provided a $200,000 capacity building grant to support the startup of Safe Families for Children in Dodge and Jefferson Counties.

The results: Over the past two years, the organization has grown from two partner churches to ten, and has over 60 volunteer families ready to serve their neighbors. Since launching services to families just over a year ago, over 15 families (29 children) have received support from Safe Families in Dodge and Jefferson Counties.

What makes Safe Families different?

First, parents remain in control throughout the process.

"We are different because we are about relationships," says Amanda Combs, Director of Development for Safe Families for Children of Dodge and Jefferson Counties. "Everything about our program is voluntary and the parent drives their own goals."

Second, "host families" are volunteers (though they are thoroughly screened and trained, including a home safety check). As volunteers, they do not receive income when they provide temporary respite care. They simply want to reach out to neighbors in need.

Finally, Safe Families focuses on building trusted, extended family-like relationships. It's more about connections than services.

"My partner and I are still 'Auntie' and 'Uncle' to kids we have hosted," says Combs. "They're family friends now."

What kinds of support are available?

When a family connects with Safe Families, the first step may be accessing "family friends." These are volunteers who can offer hot meals, babysitting, transportation help, and a connection in the community. There are also trained volunteer coaches who can partner with parents or guardians on their goals. Finally, if needed, a host family can temporarily care for children, even overnight, as parents work toward their goals. Again, the parent remains in charge, with full guardianship of their children, during this voluntary process.

"In reality, many families reach out for support without ever having their children hosted," says Combs. "It's about extra support and strengthening families."

To learn more about Safe Families for Children in our region, please call 920-400-3019 or visit jeffersondodge.safe-families.org.

To date, the foundation has invested more than $14 million in its five strategic, child-focused priorities:

• strong families
• kindergarten readiness
• school success
• social and emotional wellbeing
• healthy eating/active living

GWCHF is currently accepting applications for capacity building grants. To learn more about the foundation and supported initiatives, visit www.watertownhealthfoundation.com or Facebook at Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation.

The Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation (GWCHF) and Dodge County partners have received a $75,000 boost for early care and education efforts, in the form of a Project Growth Dream Up! Child Care Supply-Building grant from the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF).

The grants are designed to help solve the challenges facing Wisconsin's child care system and bolster the state's economy.

"Affordable access to quality early care and education is essential to a strong workforce," says Becky Glewen, GWCHF Community Development Strategist. "We are already meeting with early care providers and business leaders, looking for innovative solutions to the child care crisis."

Dodge and Jefferson Counties are classified as child care deserts, with fewer than one slot available for every three children. The cost of care in our region averages 19% of a family's income. National guidelines suggest no more than 7% of income be spent on child care annually.

Despite the high cost for families, many early care and education providers are unable to make ends meet. Closures spiked during the pandemic and continue in our region. Dodge and Jefferson Counties lost 120+ child care slots since the pandemic.

Why are childcare providers closing their doors? Their business model is not sustainable, because fees charged to families simply do not cover the actual cost of providing care. As a result, wages and benefits for early childhood educators (who are trained and certified), are far from competitive: The median wage in Dodge County is $10.98 per hour. Only 11% of early childhood educators are offered health insurance and 34% reported they were enrolled in Badgercare or Medicare.

The Dream Up! Child Care Supply-Building grant program, facilitated by First Children's Finance, focuses on building child care supply through a collaborative community approach.

"We have seen in various communities across the state that when business, economic development, early learning, and other community partners come together and innovate, we all benefit," said DCF Secretary Emilie Amundson. "These grants are helping us kickstart and build those partnerships, as well as find innovative and sustainable child care solutions that can be modeled in communities and businesses across the state."

GWCHF is one of 10 initial cross-sector teams that will receive strategic planning support and $75,000 in grant funding to evaluate, plan, sustain, and expand existing child care, and support new child care programs.

GWCHF's approach to addressing the early care and education crisis in our region is threefold:

Add immediate capacity, bringing fresh resources into our region to add childcare slots and FREE Wisconsin Early Care Association (WECA) startup coaching to interested organizations and individuals.

Strengthen high-quality care with free training and coaching using the evidence-based Pyramid Model framework to boost social-emotional learning (soft skills), decrease challenging classroom behaviors, and improve employee retention.

Boost sustainability of providers, by making the Wisconsin Early Education Shared Services Network available so providers can pool resources to save time and money with discounted purchasing, business coaching, back-end services, standardized curriculum, mental health services, professional development, and technology. Additionally, GWCHF will utilize its powerful collective impact model to advocate for update funding models, from stronger state and federal support to innovative employer-supported care.

"This grant highlights our ability to leverage partnerships in order to attract resources to our region," says GWCHF CEO Tina Crave. "We're grateful to our committee members, who provided leadership in developing an application to earn this valuable funding. These partners are instrumental in creating community solutions to challenges that impact children and families in our region."

Collaborators who co-led this grant application include:

• Alex Allon, Strategic Initiatives and Development Coordinator, City of Watertown
• Jon Lange, Chief Executive Officer, Watertown YMCA
• Nate Olson, Community Development Administrator, Dodge County Land Resources and Parks Dept.
• Kathy Schlieve, City Administrator, City of Waupun
• Emily Dieringer, Community Benefit Coordinator, Marshfield Clinic Health System
• Renae Henning, Administrator, Community Care Preschool & Child Care, Inc
• Matt Camp, Plant Manager, Richelieu Foods
• Connie Curley, Manager of Employee Relations, Specialty Cheese
• Tracy Propst, Executive Director, Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce
• Jenny Husselman, Principal/Dodgeland Schools
• Latisha Spence-Brookens, Associate Dean, Moraine Park
• Kelly Matthews, WI Early Childhood Association - WEESSN
• Mary Kuntz, School Board Member, Beaver Dam Unified School District
• Sylvia Orvitz, Parent Representative
• Harper Mruk, United Way of Dodge County
• Rebecca Glewen, GWCHF/City of Beaver Dam
• Mailia Bachleitner, Parent Representative
• Melissa Biel, Parent Representative
• Tricia Peterson, Administrator/Owner, Future All Stars Academy, LLC
• Brandon and Jessica Holtz, Parent Representative

To date, the foundation has invested more than $14 million in its five strategic, child-focused priorities:

• strong families
• kindergarten readiness
• school success
• social and emotional wellbeing
• healthy eating/active living

Great nutrition helps build great kids. It's no surprise that studies link high-quality nutrition to physical health, but research also shows that food plays a role in children's behavior, cognitive performance and academic achievement.

With kids spending so much time—and so many calories—at school, the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation (GWCHF) partnered with the Johnson Creek School District as it re-envisioned its foodservice program.

Our investment: $210,300 over three school years 

Over three years, beginning with the 2018-19 school year, we invested $210,300 in the Johnson Creek School District's effort to transform their school foodservice program. Their mission? "To fuel our children with tasty, nutritious meals made primarily from fresh, whole ingredients and to model and teach food skills to create lifelong healthy habits."

GWCHF dollars supported resources, training and technical assistance along the way, as Johnson Creek School District turned their operation upside down. The process included a kitchen designed to support from-scratch cooking and baking; staff training; and lots of time planning, testing and sourcing. 

"Our school board made a long-term commitment to this and recruited a foodservice director who would be able to implement our vision," says Johnson Creek School Superintendent Michael Garvey. "No more cardboard chicken nuggets from the government. We understand the benefits of better meals for our kids, and see it as just another part of doing business. It's an annual investment and the dividends are not counted in dollars." 

"Everybody understood the importance of feeding children quality food," says Foodservice Director Kassidy Wright. "I had full support from the school board, superintendent, and principals." 

One example of this district-wide support? A change to lunchtime schedules. Principals at elementary and high school rearranged academic schedules to ensure that kids had more time for lunch. 

"Not just food but good food and quality food helps our academics," says Middle and High School Principal Neil O'Connell. "What they're eating is reflected in the classroom. The better their food intake, the better their behavior in the classroom." 

District support was vital to the program's success. Buy-in from school foodservice team members was also crucial. "At first there was some apprehension," says Wright. "Staff were worried about additional work. But once they started to see the benefits, that they could be more proud of their work, their attitude changed."  "I am just so thankful for my staff and all of the hard work they put in every day to make this program a success," says Wright.

District leadership? Check. Foodservice staff? Check. But what about the students themselves (and their tastebuds)? 

Creative tactics included a traveling cart that brought breakfast and snacks to the students, regular sampling of new from-scratch food items, marketing on the school website and social media page—even strategically-timed training that tempted educators to taste the new fare on their in-service days. 

At the elementary level, they implemented "Try-It Thursdays." "It was a great way for students to try new foods," says Elementary Principal Melissa Enger. "For some, it might be the only time they're getting such nutritious foods. The kids really loved that."

Taste testing aside, there were also new skills to learn. "The garden bar was new," says Wright. "The younger kids needed to learn how to serve themselves. Some of them were just mounding their plates with carrots. They needed guidance and education on how much to take. It was a great learning opportunity." 

A pandemic, a frantic scramble, and unexpected benefits

The fledgling program was dealt a huge blow when schools went to at-home, virtual learning during the pandemic. On the plus side: school breakfast and lunch were temporarily free for all students (removing a barrier to participation for students of all ages). But the meals now needed to reach students, necessitating huge changes in prep, packaging and delivery.  

One advantage for Johnson Creek School District? Small size and strong leadership helped them remain agile. They adapted, and adapted again during this challenging time. They leveraged an underutilized bussing contract (that was still being paid for) to aid with delivery, extra kitchen staff which minimized overtime and stress, and help from outside the foodservice program.

"We'd help them load the busses," recalls Garvey. "All these meals, marked by family name and address." 

"Some school districts were struggling to provide the bare minimum, while we were making fresh lunches and breakfasts and delivering them," says Wright. "It was a great chance to impress parents." 

From the time of pandemic-related school closure in March to the end of the school year in June, they delivered 35,000 meals, averaging 800 meals a day delivered to children. 

Post-pandemic, supply chain issues continue to impact school foodservice across the nation. According to a USDA survey released in March 2022, some 92% of school meal programs are experiencing challenges due to supply chain disruptions.  Products are not available, orders are arriving with missing or substituted items, and shortages of cooks, food prep personnel, drivers and maintenance staff continue.

"We've had plenty of supply chain issues," says Garvey. "We've had a milk plant closure, a bread company that couldn't get wheat, and a strike at one of the plants. When that happens, we've just figured out how to go somewhere else." 

In Johnson Creek, the agility and adaptability of the program, along with some government waivers allowing them to, say, purchase whole cows directly, has meant better outcomes.  

"We rely less on prepackaged food," says O'Connell. "We are fortunate to have more options than a typical school foodservice setup."

"Some districts are so tied to their foodservice providers, or have complicated bidding processes," says Garvey. "Purchasing our own cows was a little less expensive, but it was also better quality and we feel great about supporting local farmers." 

Measuring success: menu analysis, student participation

The program uses the School Food Institute, Chef Ann Foundation framework for assessment and planning. One key measure is simply looking at the amount of processed versus fresh food being served. As you can see, highly processed foods such as white bread, canned fruit and processed meats made up less than 30% of Johnson Creek School District's menu in the 2019-20 school year. 

"Today our menu offered corn dogs and homemade pulled pork," says Wright. "Everyone chose the from-scratch pulled pork. And we're going to continue to trend those processed foods like corn dogs downward in coming years." 

What does student participation look like? Compared to 2017/18 (before the program began), student participation has increased by 43% for lunch, and 127% for breakfast. While COVID has implications for this data, the overall upward trend is undeniable. 

"The kids eventually figured out what we were serving them was good for them and delicious," Wright continues. "They were so used to typical frozen and processed food. Now they're excited about homemade shepherd's pie." 

To date, the foundation has invested more than $14 million in its five strategic, child-focused priorities:

• strong families
• kindergarten readiness
• school success
• social and emotional wellbeing
• healthy eating/active living

To learn more about the Foundation and supported initiatives, visit www.watertownhealthfoundation.com or Facebook at Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation.  

Strong life skills are key building blocks for success. Employers may call them "soft skills," and say they're in serious decline. Research backs that up… all the way to preschool! In our region, only 61% of kindergarten students were developmentally ready with these vital skills (based on the Ages and Stages screening tool).

• Examples of essential life skills
• Listen and follow directions
• Play well with others
• Identify and express emotions
• Self-control
• Communication
• Problem-solving

While these skills may seem basic to adults, too many children are entering kindergarten without them. Unsurprisingly, it sets them back, hampering learning year upon year. One study showed kids who have strong life skills in kindergarten may be more likely to thrive as adults by living healthier lives, attending college, and securing higher-paying jobs as adults. (Jones, Greenberg, & Crowley, 2015)

How do we teach these skills?

The Pyramid Model is an evidence-based framework for teaching these life skills in early childhood. In a national study, the Pyramid Model demonstrated its effectiveness: leading to increases in skills and decreases in challenging classroom behaviors. Childcare centers that use the Pyramid Model may also see improvements in staff satisfaction and retention.

Investment: $350,000 over 3 years to implement the Pyramid Model in early childhood care centers Over the past three years, the Foundation has invested in bringing the Pyramid Model to our region. In that time, a dedicated program director has provided intensive, ongoing training, coaching and support to a growing number of childcare centers and school districts with 4K and early childhood programs.

At the participating centers, all staff receive initial training as well as ongoing support from both internal and external coaches. The program leverages data, monthly leadership meetings, and regular coach check-ins to hardwire educational and relationship best practices.

The Pyramid Model is not a one-time training or easy fix. Most centers work 3 to 5 years to achieve fidelity, where Pyramid Model practices are used consistently throughout the center – all teachers, all the time. It takes practice, leadership, staff buy-in and lots of support to build competence and confidence in this way of teaching.

More than Professional Development

Wisconsin baseline data shows that teachers who attended Pyramid Model training use the practices, but at low rates of fidelity. Data shows that, on average, it takes one year for individual teachers to reach fidelity when provided with regular coaching and support. An entire center may take three to five years to reach fidelity.

Accountable for Results

In just three years, two local centers - Future All Stars Academy in Juneau and Willows Christian Childcare in Iron Ridge - have reached fidelity with Pyramid Model practices.

"It has been amazing to partner with the team members at FASA and Willows over the past two and a half years and work alongside their leadership teams to support and celebrate as they build Pyramid Model practices to fidelity," says Jill Van Sickle, Early Childhood Learning Innovation Coach. "It is incredible to see, hear and feel the cohesiveness of staff and children in their center-based early care programs."

The Foundation utilizes a Results Based Accountability (RBA) approach to evaluate the impact of investments. The practice of RBA asks three questions: How much did we do? How well did we do it? Is anyone better off?

Initial results over the first three years include:

• How much? A total of 182 children are being served across seven participating sites.
• How well? The chart below shows the percentage of Benchmarks of Quality (BOQ) achieved overall, by all participating sites, has steadily increased to 59%.
• Is anyone better off? The long term goal of this investment is to improve developmental readiness for school, as measured by the Ages and Stages developmental screening tool. In 2021, 53% of 4-year olds in pyramid model classrooms were meeting all recommended developmental milestones.

Let's keep growing

The Foundation plans to expand the Pyramid Model to more centers across Dodge and Jefferson Counties. If you are interested, or would like additional information, please contact Jill Van Sickle, Early Childhood Learning Innovation Coach at

jvansickle@watertownhealthfoundation.com. The process is selective and begins with a no-pressure informational meeting. Start-up and training costs are covered by the Foundation.

At the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation (GWCHF), we focus on solutions to issues impacting our community's children. Even when those issues—like child abuse and neglect—are incredibly challenging and difficult talk about.

The need was evident

In 2018, the data was impossible to look away from. In Dodge and Jefferson Counties, Child Protective Services (CPS) intervened in 542 child maltreatment cases, a 30% increase over the previous 3 years.

"We want to help families when they first need help, not just when a crisis is occurring," says Kathi Cauley, Director of Jefferson County Human Services. "To do this we needed to invest in creating positions that could take timely and preventive actions when people needed resources and connections to programs. The Community Response positions, which were funded by GWCHF allowed this work to start to happen."

To drive change, we needed to understand why and how could it be prevented? And then intervene in a meaningful way.

Even with stigma-laden issues like child abuse and neglect, research shows that these incidents don't just happen in a vacuum. There are causes and stressors… an environment that can make maltreatment more likely. Factors that increase the strain on fragile parents are not surprising: alcohol and substance use issues, domestic violence, single-parenting, poverty, unstable housing, social isolation, lack of parenting knowledge, and more.

Fortunately, there are also evidence-based factors that foster positive parenting and protect against abuse and neglect. These are known as "5 for Families" - the five strengths all families need to thrive.

5 for Families

• Understanding Feelings (social and emotional competence)
• Parenting as Children Grow (knowledge of parenting and child development)
• Connecting with Others (social connections)
• Building Inner Strength (parental resilience)
• Knowing How to Find Help (concrete supports in times of need)

The Community Response Program reaches out to families, at the right time, with support that encompasses these proven risk and prevention factors.

Investment: Community Response Program

In 2018, GWCHF took action by funding the Community Response Program in Jefferson and Dodge Counties. The program provides connections to services, case management and skill building for parents and caregivers. Well-trained social workers (family advocates) reach out to caregivers who had contact with Child Protective Services (CPS), but whose cases were "screened out" (meaning no further follow-up was deemed necessary). Eventually outreach also included CPS families with resolved or ongoing cases.

Results

Three years on, we are reporting on the results of this investment. An independent evaluation report covering both Dodge and Jefferson counties was prepared by The Institute for Child and Family Well-Being, part of the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare at UW-Milwaukee.

PROGRAM REACH

It's important to note that without the Community Response Program, these "screened out" cases (representing more than 750 children) would not have received further contact or assistance.

Fewer than half of the contacts resulted in services provided. The largest reason is that struggling families can be nearly impossible to reach (no fixed address or phone number). A smaller percentage of families, once contacted, declined service.

Program evaluation took the pandemic into consideration. The biggest impact was that more visits were virtual, which was less ideal than in-person.

As caregivers worked with their family advocate, they identified goals. Over three years, the most common goals identified by families included: financial support, child mental health, housing, parenting, adult mental health, and food. A reflection tool completed by program staff reinforced many of these same stressors, with affordable housing, access to quality childcare, and mental health care for all ages being cited as unmet needs within the community.

"We are thrilled to offer these earlier intervention and prevention services," says Kathi Cauley. "We have received positive feedback from participants. We hope to expand the program even further."

What's next?

From the beginning, the grant was intended to jump start the program with a goal of achieving program sustainability after three years. Ultimately, both counties are working to continue and/or expand the Community Response Program, partnering with other county departments, schools, and others.

We at GWCHF, along with our Every Child Thrives partners, are proud of the impact Dodge and Jefferson counties have had in supporting families across the region. We are grateful for the counties' willingness to make innovative solutions a reality in our community.

To date, the foundation has invested more than $14 million in its five strategic, child-focused priorities:

• strong families
• kindergarten readiness
• school success
• social emotional wellbeing
• healthy eating/active living

To learn more about the Foundation and supported initiatives, visit www.watertownhealthfoundation.com or Facebook at Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation.

The grants were awarded to more than 40 organizations working to improve the health of children and families in Dodge and Jefferson Counties.

"During a time of great uncertainty, the Foundation was humbled to be able to quickly deploy resources to the agencies providing concrete supports to our area's most vulnerable population," said Tina Crave, GWCHF President &CEO. "Early in the Pandemic, food, shelter and personal essentials rose to the top of the most urgent needs," she said.

Taking a proactive approach as the pandemic wore on, the Foundation expanded its support to include building the capacity of agencies.

"We started hearing that cash flow issues caused by the pandemic were hindering organizations' ability to keep up with the demand for services, or even provide the same level of service as they had pre-pandemic," said Margaret Hanrahan, GWCHF Board member and Grants Committee Chair. "Broadening the scope of these grants helped support agencies serving the critical needs of the community to survive the pandemic and remain viable over the long term," she added.

Larger, multi-year investments were made to school-based mental health and drug and alcohol abuse counseling, needs compounded by the pandemic. Jefferson County Human Services and Dodge County Health and Human Services were awarded grants to provide school based mental health counseling to students and their families. In addition, Dodge County received funding to provide substance use disorder treatment to women whose children were placed in the child welfare system.

"Stresses caused by the Pandemic such as job loss and social isolation resulted in an increased demand for mental health and addiction services," said Hanrahan. "We are happy to support these agencies working to improve the emotional health of children and the functioning of the family unit."

Pandemic Response Grants Awarded

The following Pandemic Response Grants were awarded to agencies by category:

Open Grant Opportunities

The GWCHF is currently accepting proposals for four open grant cycles.

• Changemaker Grants, open through December 2022, provide support for agencies working to improve health equity for those they serve, while focusing on the social determinants of health.
• Ongoing grants include:
• Capacity Building Grants, for agencies looking to advance their missions by developing leadership skills or strengthening organizational efforts
• Health Equity Spark Grants, meant to spark community learning, reflection and dialogue on the topics of equity, diversity and inclusion
• Community Collaboration Grants, which provide support for partnerships that enhance community spaces where individuals can be active together.

The GWCHF invests in non-profit or governmental agencies focused on improving health equity. Prospective applicants can view the requests for proposals, complete with application details, on the Grants page of the Foundation's website at watertownhealthfoundation.com.

Submitted proposals must directly support the communities served by the school districts of Dodgeland, Hustisford, Ixonia, Jefferson, Johnson Creek, Lake Mills, Waterloo and Watertown.

To date, the Foundation has invested nearly $13 million in its five strategic, child-focused priorities:

• strong families
• kindergarten readiness
• school success
• social emotional wellbeing
• healthy eating/active living

To learn more about the foundation and supported initiatives, watertownhealthfoundation.com or Facebook at Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation.

The Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation (GWCHF) has announced two grant opportunities for organizations working improve the health of children and families. The opportunities will support capacity building and work that improves the social determinants of health.

2022 Changemaker Grants

"The single greatest priority of the GWCHF is to create health equity," said Tina Crave, GWCHF President &CEO. "Health equity means every person has the opportunity to enjoy optimal health and wellbeing."

2022 Changemaker grants will be awarded to organizations working to improve health equity for those they serve, while focusing on the social determinants of health.

"Through the 2022 Changemaker Grants, we are looking to provide substantial funding for programs that will have a large impact in our community," said Margaret Hanrahan, GWCHF Board member and Grants Committee Chair. "We'll also consider smaller projects that have the potential to lead to larger-scale initiatives."

Requests for the 2022 Changemaker Grants will be accepted through December 31, 2022, or until budget of $500,000 is met.

Capacity Building Grants

Capacity Building Grants provide funding for organizations looking to advance their missions by developing leadership skills through training and technical assistance. In addition, support will be provided for organizational efforts such as research and development, quality improvement and strategic planning.

"During this time when resources are stretched especially thin, we are pleased to support organizations in building their strength and effectiveness," said Margaret Hanrahan,. "Our Capacity Building Grants offer an opportunity for organizations to grow their impact in order to improve outcomes for those they serve."

Capacity Building grants are open on an ongoing basis. Organizations seeking Capacity Building Grants should contact Andi Merfeld, Community Engagement and Grants Coordinator, at 920-390-4682 to discuss their project. An invitation to formally apply will be extended to qualifying projects.

To Learn More

Prospective applicants can view the requests for proposals, complete with application details, on the Grants page of the Foundation's website at watertownhealthfoundation.com.

Submitted proposals must directly support the communities served by the school districts of Dodgeland, Hustisford, Ixonia, Jefferson, Johnson Creek, Lake Mills, Waterloo and Watertown.

In addition to its Capacity Building and Changemaker Grants, GWCHF has two additional open grant cycles. Health Equity Spark Grants are designed to spark community learning, reflection and dialogue on the topics of equity, diversity and inclusion and Community Collaboration Grants, which provide support up to $20,000 for partnerships that enhance community spaces where individuals can be active together. Both grants are open on an ongoing basis.

To date, the foundation has invested nearly $13 million in its five strategic, child-focused priorities:

• strong families
• kindergarten readiness
• school success
• social emotional wellbeing
• healthy eating/active living

To learn more about the foundation and supported initiatives, visit watertownhealthfoundation.com or Facebook at Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation.

The Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation (GWCHF) is pleased to announce the TalkReadPlay Center, located within the Watertown Public Library, is open to the community.

The TalkReadPlay Center was designed to promote quality early learning opportunities while supporting parents and caregivers in helping their children grow and learn. It inspires and supports learning interactions, facilitates access to resources, champions caregivers as their child's first teacher, and works beyond its walls to build the community supports families need to thrive.

The Center is housing both the Watertown Public Library Children's Department and Watertown Family Connections, formerly the Watertown Family Center. Both organizations offer programming for children ages 0-5 within the space, including playgroups, storytimes, parenting education and more. Families can find information on programs dates and times at talkreadplaywi.com

The Center also features interactive spaces where parents and children can learn through play.

"Some of our interactive play spaces include features that require unique construction," said Peg Checkai, Watertown Public Library Director. "The construction of these spaces has been delayed, likely until this spring. When families visit the TalkReadPlay Center this winter, we want them to know that many more exciting features will be added in the coming months. The space will only get better!"

In the meantime, Checkai said there is a variety of play equipment and activities that many families are already enjoying.

A New Home for Watertown Family Connections

Watertown Family Connections (WFC), formerly the Watertown Family Center, has relocated its space to the TalkReadPlay Center. WFC will continue offering playgroups and educational programs for parents and caregivers. Expanding on its mission, WFC will also connect families with young children to resources that increase knowledge of parenting and child development, social and emotional competence of children, parental resilience, social connections, and concrete supports in times of need.

"We are very excited to be collaborating with Watertown Family Connections to serve families with young children," said Checkai. "Because of this collaboration, when families visit the TalkReadPlay Center at the library, they will not only find books and opportunities to create and play together, but they will also have opportunities to develop as a family and be connected to any resources and services they may need to thrive."

Watertown Family Connections Executive Director Stephanie Curtis is also looking forward to the new shared space. "Being located in the TalkReadPlay Center gives us more opportunities to connect with and serve our community, to continue our long tradition of supporting families in the Watertown area."

TalkReadPlay Imagination Library – Free Books for Children

In addition to funding the TalkReadPlay Center, to commemorate its opening and to launch the next phase of the TalkReadPlay community movement, GWCHF is sponsoring the TalkReadPlay Imagination Library in partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Children ages birth through 5 years old can receive one book per month mailed to them free of charge.

"TalkReadPlay is our community's promise that every child has a great start in life," said GWCHF President &CEO Tina Crave. "We know when parents read to their young children each day, they have a better chance at being developmentally ready for school. When books are easy to access, families are more likely to read together."

Children eligible to receive Imagination Library books are those who reside in school district areas that GWCHF serves – including Dodgeland, Hustisford, Ixonia, Jefferson, Johnson Creek, Lake Mills, Waterloo and Watertown. Families may register for the program at https://talkreadplaywi.com/imagination-library/