Blog
Place Matters: A 2Gen Approach to Housing
Place matters in the lives of families. Homes are the anchor for family life, and the quality of one’s housing is an important determinant of health and economic outcomes. With collectively more than 100 years of policy expertise and values-based leadership between us, Ascend and the Housing Opportunity and Services Together (HOST) initiative at the…
Unpacking the Father Factor, a Critical Link in Building Strong Communities
Visionary leaders understand that many of our public systems and services were not designed for 21st century families. So, program and public leaders across the country are redefining how they work with families. On Thursday, November 29, Ascend at the Aspen Institute and GOOD+ Foundation convened fathers, researchers, thought leaders, policymakers, and social service program leaders…
From Stability to Thriving: Redefining Work and Family Supports
What is meaningful work? What does it mean for a family to thrive? There are certain conditions in and outside of work that lay the economic, health, and educational foundation for families to prosper that are often not met. Government entities often silo their support for child care, education, and career development instead of treating…
Providing Care and Custody With Dignity and Respect Within Colorado Division of Youth Services
In December of each year, at the main administration building for the Colorado Department of Human Services, a Christmas tree is placed in the entryway. The tree is decorated with ornaments listing the age, gender, and gift preference for a child in need. CDHS employees pick an ornament from the tree and purchase a gift…
WEBINAR: Achieving Postsecondary Success for Parents: A New Partnership and Report Recommendations
Parents know what researchers have documented: Education, especially postsecondary education, is the most promising path for families toward this economic stability because it can lead to jobs and careers with living wages to support their families and make their children’s lives better. After announcing a new partnership with Omidyar Network and two reports that lift…
Omidyar Network: Why We Invested in Ascend
This blog is cross-posted from Omidyar Network’s publication, Positive Returns – visit the original post here. Photo credit to Kate Ruth Photo. “I want to show people that you shouldn’t be ashamed to get help, you should feel empowered — that it can be a beginning for you, for your dreams to flourish and grow.” — Brittany Block, Parent…