This brief shares insights from the conversation that offer space to consider changes needed in workforce development policies and practices to be more supportive of parents. By sharing these perspectives, Ascend hopes other practitioners, policymakers, and researchers will use these ideas to identify and address similar gaps in their own efforts.

It is our pleasure to share this collection of leadership briefs from the inspiring leaders who make up the first cohort of the Aspen Institute Colorado Children and Families Fellowship. This journey began with a question: What would it take to make Colorado the best place to have a child and raise a thriving family? 

CareerAdvance®, developed and run by the Community Action Project of Tulsa County (CAP Tulsa), is a model two-generation intervention that pairs early childhood education for children with career pathway training in the healthcare sector for parents. CareerAdvance® recruits parents from high quality Head Start centers and offers career certification programs in the healthcare field at…

2Gen convenings have the potential to create change for whole systems and the lives of the families they serve. This planning guide is the first step. Having planned and supported more than 100 2Gen convenings, Ascend has cultivated a depth of knowledge for the practical elements and nuanced factors that result in successful convenings. This…

From the Urban Institute: Supporting Young Parents as They Advance Their Education and Careers Approximately 43 percent of US children are born to parents who had their first child when they were younger than 25. These young parents often face greater economic challenges, because half of them live in low-income households. To advance their career…

From the Urban Institute: Balancing Work with School and Training while Raising Young Children Parents who have children at a young age often face an interruption in their schooling, their plans for career training, and overall life trajectory. But a growing number of young parents are seeking education and training to achieve better opportunities for…