Rising Up to Meet the Moment: Honoring Progress, Shaping Tomorrow: The 2024 Family Strengthening Network Summit
“You never know who you’re impacting.”
— Dr. Sade Burrell
The Family Strengthening Network’s annual Summit, held on June 12, 2024, celebrated the impact home visiting has made on families throughout the years, while also looking forward to the future.
The event, which was funded by First 5 LA and conducted virtually for the fifth year in a row, brought together staff at the 12 Welcome Baby hospital programs, along with the more than two dozen agencies affiliated with Healthy Families America and Parents as Teachers home visiting programs across L.A. County. (See First 5 LA’s article about the Summit.)
LA Best Babies Network — in partnership with First 5 LA, Work2Live Productions, California Hospital Medical Center, and L.A. County’s Department of Public Health and Department of Public Social Services — hosted the event.
We kicked off the Summit with a lively song and music video, written by the LABBN Communications Team, and performed by LABBN, First 5 LA, DPH, and Work2Live Well, to show our appreciation for all home visiting staff.
Following remarks from leaders in the county, LABBN’s Data Analysts Monica Charles and Helen Chan gave an impressive presentation of data on activity and outcomes over the years. Quick testimonial videos from grateful client families punctuated the event.
Keynote speaker Dr. Sade Burrell spoke about the ripple effects of home visiting and how this type of work not only changes the lives of the families receiving these services, but also how it impacts future generations.
Dr. Burrell, who is Associate Dean at Cuyamaca College, shared her powerful and inspiring story of starting in the foster care system, going through the juvenile justice system, and ending up in a position where she is able to lead other young people to higher ground. In a presentation she called “You Never Know Who You’re Impacting,” she explained how certain people in her life stepped in and helped shape her future (and her children’s) — and how a home visitor can be that person for the families they serve.
The Summit continued with our parent engagement presentation, “Sustained Strength: From Home Visiting to Community Building.” It featured a conversation with Diane Gaspard, Community Health Services Chief at South Los Angeles Health Projects, and Whitney Hammock, Community Navigator for Rising Communities. Diane talked about trying to get Whitney to continue with home visiting services after her original home visitor left the program. (Diane’s persistence paid off.) Whitney, whose son had severe health issues as a baby, was grateful that her home visitor encouraged her to advocate for her son. She also explained how her home visiting program opened doors to a career that is helping her give back to her community.
In keeping with this year’s theme of “honoring progress,” we shared a recap video of the service award ceremony held at First 5 LA on May 21, 2024, for home visiting staff who have been part of the Network for 10+ years. Diana Careaga, Director of Family Supports at First 5 LA, introduced this segment and walked us through the history of home visiting in L.A. County.
Anna Ghukasyan, Policy Research Associate at LABBN, reviewed highlights from Home Visiting Day 2024, held April 19 this year, and the progress we have made since its inauguration in 2022. She also shared a video message from L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, who has sponsored the County’s Home Visiting Day proclamation each year.
It’s all in the video recordings below.
Staff members also took the opportunity to recognize each other. See the shout-outs they gave to highlight their coworkers’ dedication, hard work, and compassion. Check out the agenda, speaker bios, data presentation slides, Home Visiting Day update slides, and keynote presentation slides. (Want more? See recordings from previous Summits.)