In health and social services, we often say we want to “meet families where they are.” But real connection goes deeper—it starts with listening. When people feel heard and seen, everything begins to shift. Trust grows. Engagement deepens. Services begin to reflect real needs, not assumptions. And families start to move from surviving to thriving.
This practice of meaningful family engagement is coming to life in Cleveland’s Central neighborhood through Family Partners – a collaboration between Family Connections, OhioGuidestone, and Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood’s Parent Advisory Council.
Since 2019, this cross-agency partnership has worked hand-in-hand with families, going far beyond checking boxes or filling seats at a table. By offering parents of preschoolers in Family Connections’ SPARK kindergarten readiness program meaningful ways to engage with their community and connect to critical resources, Family Partners has created real pathways for support and change.
Grounded in the two-generational (2Gen) framework from Ascend at the Aspen Institute, Family Partners centers the strengths and needs of both children and adults to support holistic family well-being. It brings together early childhood and mental health professionals to provide home visits, coaching, support and peer connection, supporting caregivers in being powerful learning partners in their child’s education while taking their own steps towards sustaining and growing economic stability and well-being.
On April 3, families and service providers in the Family Partners network came together over a moving and joyful dinner to celebrate the stories and successes of “graduating” families.
Tomika, a mother of seven children, shared she was skeptical at first. She wondered, What could Family Partners possibly teach me? But it didn’t take long for her to realize the program’s deeper impact. What she found wasn’t just information—it was community, love, and support she hadn’t even known she needed to keep going.
Reflecting on her journey, Tamika shared with pride, “I stand before you with a great job now, and I just closed on my first home yesterday. I’m telling you—if I can do it, there’s nothing anyone can tell you that you can’t do.”
Beth Darmstadter, Family Connections Executive Director, was honored to listen in and participate in the celebration. “We heard from many parents who lauded the support and leadership provided by Lakeesha Tolliver-Funches (SPARK Outreach & Training Supervisor), Demitria McKenzie (SPARK Parent Partner), and OhioGuidestone’s Catherine Gasper (Family Strengths Coach) and Kaylin Schaefer (Assistant Director).
Ms. Darmstadter observed that the partnership among multiple organizations – supported through the William J. and Dorothy K. O’Neill Foundation and Sisters of Charity Foundation – is a wonderful model for strengthening families and communities. “We LOVE this community, and the families served here!” She added, “We hope to continue and replicate this model elsewhere pending future philanthropic support.” She also thanked Richaun Bunton, the CEO of University Settlement where the event took place, noting it was a “full circle moment” for Richaun Bunton, formerly with the Sisters of Charity Foundation, who had been instrumental in helping to launch Family Partners in the Central neighborhood.
Mariah, a participant in the Family Partners program, shared how it supported her after the loss of a loved one. The tools and support she received helped her navigate grief and care for herself and her child.
“I don’t know if I could’ve done this past year without you…I’m so thankful for you and this partnership, and what you guys provide for us.”
This partnership-driven model, supported by the William J. and Dorothy K. O’Neill Foundation and the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland, is helping families and communities grow stronger, healthier, and more resilient.
Family Partners was developed with the recognition that each family can support and sustain one another, and many simply need the time, the knowledge and the network to grow and strengthen that ability.
SPARK-Ohio at Family Connections is the initial access point for families; the home-visiting program serves up to 30 families at a time who have preschool-age children in the Central neighborhood. Using an asset- or strengths-based approach, the SPARK parent partner can help illuminate for a caregiver what is working well within the family, and where caregivers can find the tools they need to strengthen other areas. SPARK will then slowly begin to make purposeful introductions to connect families with community resources in education (Starting Point), mental health (OhioGuidestone) and other social support networks (Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood). With each of these partner organizations comes a network of additional potential connections for experts to share with families, always with family’s agreement and leadership.
Since 2018, the William J. and Dorothy K. O’Neill Foundation has provided flexible, multi-year support to organizations and community partnerships that advance a whole-family (2Gen) approach to economic mobility and well-being. This Deep Impact Grantmaking Program focuses on redesigning services to meet the needs of both children and adults, reducing access barriers, expanding service options, centering family voice, and strengthening community networks and peer support.
