Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is Making Connections?
A. Making Connections is part of a national place-based initiative by the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) to advance the premise that "Children do well when families do well, and families do better when they live in supportive neighborhoods." AECF launched Making Connections in 22 cities in 1999 to show how a cross-section of constituencies can be mobilized to provide support for children, families and neighborhoods. It's also a learning community of families, residents, community leaders, faith-based organizations, businesses, schools, state and local government officials and policy makers from across the Making Connections sites. We share our experience, know-how and ideas with each other about "what works" to revitalize isolated neighborhoods, improve social service delivery and increase family economic success.
Q. What is Making Connections -Denver (MC-D)?
A. The philosophy behind Making Connections-Denver is that families have the best chance for success when "connected" to four kinds of support: 1) social networks of friends, faith communities and civic groups; 2) opportunities to earn a decent living and build assets; 3) opportunities for young children to be prepared to succeed in school; and 4), services that are high-quality and close to home.
Making Connections-Denver is guided by three principles: promotion of human dignity, equalization of power, and transformed institutions.
Q. Which neighborhoods are targeted by Making Connections-Denver?
A. The initiative is working in four lower-income neighborhoods: Baker, La Alma/Lincoln Park and Sun Valley on the Westside and Cole neighborhood in northeast Denver.
Q. What challenges does Making Connections seek to address?
A. While conditions have improved over the last decade, many children still live in families with risk factors, such as poverty, single-parent homes, unemployment, heads of households who are high school dropouts and those who lack health insurance. Many families are clustered together in neighborhoods cut off from opportunities and lack access to skills that lead to secure jobs. They often lack connections to networks of friends, relatives, neighbors, civic groups and faith communities. As a result, their voices are not heard when decisions are made that impact their lives.
Q. How will families' lives change as a result of these efforts?
A. After four years of work, Making Connections has mobilized alliances and built knowledge about strengthening families. The work has shifted to a hard focus on measurable improvements in child and family well being. Positive outcomes can demonstrate to policy makers, other foundations and the general public that strengthening families and neighborhoods offers a solution to social isolation and economic difficulties. Making Connections-Denver has placed the strongest possible focus on resident leadership development and community organizing as pathways for residents to achieve these results.
The Casey Foundation is using a set of core results to evaluate progress and show how Making Connections makes a lasting difference. The following areas, and indicators used to quantify them, were distilled from research, assessments of previous investments in community initiatives, and data gathered to build the evaluation framework.
- Families have stable employment and sufficient income to meet basic needs
- Families have increased levels of financial well-being
- Children are healthy and prepared to succeed in school
- Residents are engaged in their communities to achieve desired results
- Families have strong social networks and supports
- Institutions and organizations transform to better serve resident needs