On October 8-9 2018, Ascend partnered with the Bezos Family Foundation, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, and the Center for Native American Youth for the New Mexico Forum on Early Childhood Development and Family Well-Being in Albuquerque, NM. The convening brought together over 110 leaders across New Mexico to advance three goals: to inspire, provide a…

With collectively more than 100 years of policy expertise and values-based leadership between us, Ascend at the Aspen Institute and the Housing Opportunity and Services Together initiative at the Urban Institute partnered to develop a set of recommendations on how to harness assisted housing and public-private housing partnerships for better outcomes for families. By Dr.…

Using a two-generation (2Gen) framework, Medicaid can be designed to support the social capital, health and well-being, educational attainment, and economic security of children and families, together, so they can maximize their health and thrive. This checklist outlines specific Medicaid policies and design choices adopted in Colorado to implement a 2Gen approach to improve the lives…

The Colorado Division of Youth Services is working to transform the family experience by taking a two-generation (2Gen) approach to the services it provides. By Tony Gherardini, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Human Services. November, 2018.

Colleges and higher education systems can make institutional policy changes to bolster the success of students who are parents and their families through intentional use of a two-generation approach. This brief focuses on traditional two-year and four-year baccalaureate pathways for students who are parents; it complements a brief released on policy solutions.

There are opportunities for federal and state policies to better support postsecondary institutions in serving students who are parents and their families. Policymakers can incentivize partnerships, name students who are parents as special or target populations, and facilitate financial aid processes that address the needs of families. Where possible, policies can also encourage creative and…