Families First is excited to announce that Magda Rodriguez has been selected to join an innovative committee through the Mass Early Childhood Funder Collaborative. Their task is to create a statewide early childhood system map which is accessible for caregivers & providers alike.

Families First would like a send a huge thank you to the Highland Street Foundation for donating tickets and gift cards to the Bruins game on the 18th. The family also had the opportunity to see the jersey retirement ceremony for Willie O’Ree, the first black player in the NHL!

A huge Families First shout out to our Boston Area Manager Marissa Lehrman for stepping up and being on a panel for a citywide Boston Opportunity Agenda Parent Leader panel presentation. And also Stephanie Sanchez, Parent Leader Fellow, who kicked off the night with a great introduction!

🎉Families First is excited to lead The Children's Trust’ Family Support Friday this week! We'll walk through how to improve inclusion and training opportunities for parents and empower them to apply their leadership capacity to the broader community. Interested? bit.ly/3s8a0KD

What a great community session with The Children's Trust last week! Nearly 70 participants showed up to discuss inclusion and the power of parent leadership. After the session, we asked participants to describe how they felt & what they learned. We’re pretty happy with the results!

Are you a seasoned Development professional with experience growing revenue from both individual donors and institutional funders? Do you love communicating with a variety of audiences? This opportunity may be right for you! Apply now: families-first.org/get-involved/c… #HiringNow

It’s never too early to learn about #BlackHistory or celebrate and honor the #BlackExperience both past and present. This #BlackHistoryMonth, grab a few books to read with your children from @bostonpubliclibrary’s “Black Is…2022” list.Find the list here: bit.ly/3sF3wDr

Did you know that today is Random Acts of Kindness Day? What are some ways you’re practicing kindness or modeling kindness for your children today?

"This program has created a positive impact for family engagement by having ambassadors become the leaders who share with families within our community. Ambassadors are empowered to share their stories and the feedback builds connections amongst our community members."

Families First is excited to welcome Israel Rivera to our team in Western MA! Israel will help drive forward partnership development in Holyoke, Chicopee, and Springfield, and he will launch the first Power of Parenting and Parent Leadership programs in the region.

Don't miss today's Daily Hampshire Gazette, which features Families First's new work in Western Massachusetts and staff members Israel Rivera and Jill Brevik! gazettenet.com/Paper-City-Not…

Families First is launching our first Power of Parenting program in Springfield! Are you the parent or caregiver of a child ages 3 - 8? Come together with other local parents to learn about your child’s development and share parenting strategies! tinyurl.com/HMR-POP

Families First was honored to have Kristin McSwain join us at our Leadership Luncheon last week. Kristin & our Executive Director spoke on how to bridge opportunities to address the childcare crisis, build strong family systems, & foster parent leadership. tinyurl.com/FamiliesFirstY…

There is so much that goes into being a mom. And the word can mean different things to different people. But no matter if you're a mother, step-mother, foster mother, or mother figure, you mean the world to your loved ones. Happy Mother’s Day everyone!

Welcome to our new followers from Western MA and across the state! If you want to get a better sense of our programs, check out our newest video on our website homepage or click here: youtube.com/watch?v=1OQfOF…

Anger, fear, sadness, helplessness... All your feelings are valid. Feel them and think about how to support your child today. healthychildren.org/English/family…

At our May Leadership Luncheon, Regional Director Jill Brevik and Program Manager Israel Rivera shared about the behind-the-scenes work that went into expanding our programs to Western Massachusetts and our plans moving forward. View a recording here: youtube.com/watch?v=PxAv5H…

The key to building emotional resiliency is letting your child know they are safe to feel the hard stuff. As parents, acknowledge your child's feelings so they learn to share their worries and fears.

Happy International Day of PRIDE! Families First is an ally to the LGBTQ+ community! We value inclusion and encourage everyone to always bring their full selves to the table. Learn more about how you can be an ally here: glaad.org/resources/ampl… #lovewins