photo of mother and child

our priorities

The Greater Watertown Community Healthy Foundation (GWCHF) is working to make sure the future is bright for everyone who calls our community home, especially our children.

A huge share of healthcare resources is used to treat already-established disease. In contrast, GWCHF is focused on the "upstream" determinants of health. We are concentrating on the root causes of disease, addressing health risks at an early stage when prevention, early intervention and health promotion have the biggest benefits.

With a focus on health equity, we strategically allocate resources to move the needle on key child health indicators. Our strategic priorities include:

strong families

Weaving a web of support for young children and families

kindergarten readiness

Providing great early learning opportunities

school success

Creating systems of student supports

social emotional well-being

Growing resilient communities

healthy eating active living

Making health the easy choice


For each of our strategies, we closely monitor a performance indicator to ensure we are moving the needle with our investments.

link to community health needs assessment
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equality equity graphic

Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. This requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences, including powerlessness and lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe environments, and health care.


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Community Health Needs Assessment

By reviewing public health data and dialoguing with community stakeholders we've identified our region's greatest barriers to health, which are:

  • Chronic disease (such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and arthritis)
  • Lack of physical activity
  • Nutrition
  • Mental health (including toxic stress and depression)
  • Substance abuse (such as drugs, alcohol and smoking)

(Please click here to review our region's full Community Health Needs Assessment report. This assessment was completed in partnership with local public health and healthcare partners and is updated every three years.)




family

strong families

Strong, healthy families lay the foundation for a child's success. We strategically weave a web of support so young children and families have the five key strengths to thrive:

Helping kids understand their feelings

Showing kids how to name, understand and manage emotions, express themselves and get along with others.

Parenting as children grow

Learning to support their child's growth at every age and stage.

Connecting with others

Building a network of people who care about each other.

Building inner strength

Keeping it together – and even growing stronger – during times of stress.

Knowing how to find help

Seeking support in times of need and knowing how to accept help when it's offered.

Click here to learn more about progress measures for Strong Families, as detailed in the Every Child Thrives scorecard.
family

watertown neighborhood plan

A once-in-a-generation opportunity for Watertown

We are working to create a model neighborhood that provides a full continuum of housing to bring people at all stages of life together in one thriving community that is walkable, promotes connectedness, and highlights the scenic beauty of our area.

our vision

Everyone who works in or contributes to our Watertown community can afford to live here.

200+ acres on Watertown's southwest side

The southwest side planning effort looks at not only the Foundation-owned former Bethesda site but also adjacent City-owned property, and the larger area between Milford Street and the Rock River on the southwest side of the City. In total the planning area includes more than 200 acres.

Partnership with City of Watertown

We are delighted to work with the City of Watertown to develop a neighborhood plan that builds on mutual City and Foundation goals of increasing housing availability for all demographic groups, improving resident quality of life, attracting and retaining local businesses, and fostering an increased sense of community through new neighborhood design.

Madison- and Milwaukee-based urban planning firm Vandewalle & Associates have developed a preliminary neighborhood plan that will be reviewed by the City's Planning Commision, the City Council, and the public through a community information session.

Market studies highlight the need

The Foundation, Jefferson County and Dodge County have conducted a series of housing and market studies over the past several years. These studies underscored the need for housing–especially the need for diverse housing to meet the needs of Watertown residents across the life cycle, including small, single family homes, condos, duplexes and apartments.

link to Conceptual Neighborhood Plan Presentation_Plan

Click to see the Conceptual Neighborhood Plan Presentation
link to Conceptual Neighborhood Plan Presentation_Plan

Click to see the Informational Brochure
link to Neighborhood FAQ

Click to read the Watertown Neighborhood Plan FAQ's



Southwest Side Neighborhood Plan
Community Information Session

When: May 18th at 5:30

Where: Watertown Country Club

Free appetizers and refreshments

Click here to register

family

kindergarten readiness

Development in a child's early years is critical to their lifelong health and learning. By providing great early learning opportunities, children will be equipped with the social, emotional and developmental readiness skills to be successful in school.

Click here to learn about progress measures for Kindergarten Readiness, as detailed in the Every Child Thrives scorecard.
family

school success

Every child deserves the support needed in order for him or her to be successful in school. We work with educators to create systems of student supports so every child can thrive.

Click here to learn more about progress measures for School Success, as detailed in the Every Child Thrives scorecard.
family

social emotional well-being

When children are well socially and emotionally, they are better able to thrive in all areas of life. High social and emotional competence increases high school and post-secondary education completion rates, employment rates and average wages. It decreases dropout rates, behavior and mental health challenges, teen pregnancy, drug use and criminal behavior.

We invest in building systems that focus on growing resilient communities with the conditions needed for all children to be socially and emotionally well.

Performance Indicator: Student anxiety & depression rates
family

healthy eating active living

Studies show that children who enjoy good nutrition and regular physical activity feel better, behave better, are more attentive, have fewer absences, and achieve higher academic outcomes. When we make health the easy choice, children can develop habits to promote long-term wellness.

Performance Indicator: Student fruit & vegetable consumption