Welcome to the fifth issue of the Networks of Opportunity for Child Wellbeing (NOW) Innovation Forum newsletter. Stay tuned each month for the latest conversations, stories and resources for advancing and promoting child wellbeing. We look forward to connecting with you NOW and in the future!

Bienvenidos a la quinta edicion de nuestro boletin para el Foro de Innovacion NOW. La frase del mes es una de John Lewis, "nada puede detener el poder de un pueblo comprometido y decidido a hacer la diferencia en nuestra sociedad". Asegúrese de registrarse para la Cumbre Nacional de Liderazgo Comunitario virtual 2020 ya que el registro anticipado cierra hoy. La fecha límite para enviar carteles de presentacion para la cumbre fue extendida hasta el 15 de Septiembre. En las proximas semanas  se publicará un resumen traducido al espanol, sobre el seminario web de verano, del pasado 30 de julio. ¡Así que estan atentos al Foro de innovación NOW!

In The Arena with NOW Podcast

• NEW! Episode 11: Family Engagement Network: Supporting Families is the Key to Successful Workforce Development: All the way from Pima County Arizona, join us in a conversation with the Family Engagement Network and learn about the critical pieces to a successful workforce program that centers on the needs of families as a route to empowerment. Listen here >>

• Episode 10: Adelante, Adelante: The Movement Towards Language Justice and Equity: Bilingual podcast! Learn from the Adelante coalition, in the language of their hearts,  about their reflections and experiences as they continue to center and bring in the voice of the LatinX community to the decision making table regarding health and education. Audio is available in Spanish and a copy of the English transcript is available here >>

Webinar:

• Webinar Archive: Community-Driven Policy Advocacy: Upholding the Dignity of Immigrant Children and Families Change:  On July 30, we learned from amazing advocates across the country who are working to dismantle structural racism not only within the immigration system, but other sectors, institutions, and programs that serve immigrant children and families. Spanish audio and summary materials coming soon. View Archive >> 

• Webinar Archive: Operationalizing Equity Through Participatory Data Storytelling: View archive materials from our April 30 webinar, Operationalizing Equity through Participatory Data Storytelling. Learn from speakers who discuss why equity matters for data storytelling, share strategies for data visualization and participatory processes, and provide a virtual walk through of Vital Village’s Community Housing Data Tool and Child Wellbeing Tracker. Spanish audio and summary materials are available.  View archive >>

Latest Blogs

• Community-Driven Policy Change: Guides, Toolkits, and Practices, by Phoebe Co, Vital Village Networks. Written during a spring internship with VVN, Phoebe collects critical tools for those looking to center their communities knowledge, power and experiences in efforts create empowering policy change.

• Let’s Get Counted: The 2020 Census, by Tiffany Rodriguez, Catherine Luo & Lucas Sensius, the Vital Village Network. A blog written to empower the Vital Village communities with information about the Census and direct actions to help get your community counted.

• Submit a resource or tool to the NOW Innovation Forum Resource Library. The resource library is a space created for you to lift up the work of yourself, your coalitions and your community. Share data tools, infographics, reports and other tools centered on advancing community equity. Submit here >>

• Stronger Together: Building an Inclusive System of Supports for Immigrant Families During the Pandemic, and Always (Center for the Study of Social Policy): This brief explores how policymakers can begin to build a comprehensive and inclusive system of supports to protect immigrant families. Read more >>

• An Anti-Racist Approach to Supporting Child Care Through COVID-19 and Beyond (CLASP): This brief (which features Alycia Hardy, a network member and a powerful voice to tune in to at the upcoming 2020 National Community Leadership Summit) explains the origins of long-standing racial inequities in child care and early education, examines how the COVID-19 crisis has exposed and exacerbated these inequities, and offers recommendations for how policymakers, advocates, and other stakeholders can address them to rebuild a stronger, more equitable system. Read more >>

• In Pursuit of an Equitable Start: Leveraging and Expanding Public Funding to Support a More Equitable Recovery for Young Children, Families, and Child Care Workers (Zero To Three, PolicyLink): This report (which features Zero to Three and makes us so very proud of a 2019 VVN National Community Leadership Summit keynote speaker, Myra Jones-Taylor) describes how COVID-19 is widening existing racial and economic gaps in opportunity for infants and toddlers. They call to leverage this moment to create more equitable systems that ensure all children have the support that they need for healthy development, including investments in high-quality affordable child care and paid family and medical leave policies. Read more >>

#VillageinMind

The NOW community hopes to stay connected and lift up the work and stories of all of our members. Follow and tag us on Twitter, @NOW_WellChild & @Vital_Village, so that we can virtually highlight the community led transformation you are leading.