Seven women and their children are one step closer to an economically secure future for themselves and their families after graduating from Starting Point 2.0 on Wednesday, December 6. These young moms and their pre-school children are the first to complete this collaborative program between the Women's Fund, Fox Valley Technical College and B.A.B.E.S. Child Abuse Prevention Program. The pilot program is based on the Aspen Institute's two-generation approach to addressing generational poverty by meeting the needs of the family together.

The women in the program attended workshops which included topics such as life and family strengthening skills, how to overcome mental and emotional hurdles, opportunities for employment, and how to prepare for career and college success, among many others. At the same time mothers were attending classes, their young children received age appropriate early childhood education at B.A.B.E.S. 

The program has great potential to reduce poverty in our community since 64% of the families with minor children in poverty are headed by single mothers. The purpose of the program is to prepare women to successfully complete post-secondary education leading to family supporting jobs.

Find more information on this program and the Young Women's Initiative, including how you can help, on the Women's Fund website. 

Dr. Whelan is a clinical professor in the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, and director of MORE: Money, Relationships and Equality. She earned a masters and doctorate from the University of Oxford and has been published in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and The New York Times, among other national outlets. She has appeared live on television programs and radio programs across the nation.

We look forward to hearing from Christine in March. Registration for the event will begin mid-January.

 

Women's Fund Grant Information