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Two-generation (2Gen) approaches are paving pathways for children and their families to reach their full potential together. This monthly newsletter highlights 2Gen practice and policy breakthroughs so you can cultivate innovation, collaborate within and outside your organization, and improve outcomes for whole families.
New Mexico Leads with Universal, No-Cost Childcare
New Mexico just made history. Starting November 1, 2025, it will become the first state in the nation to offer truly no-cost universal childcare, available to all New Mexicans. Ascend at the Aspen Institute interviewed four key leaders and partners, including Ascend Fellow Jovanna Archuleta, to learn more about this historic milestone that is 15 years in the making and to provide powerful lessons for states nationwide.
Leading, Learning, and Partnership Opportunities in the Ascend Community
Arizona Single Mom Scholars Program Now Accepting Applications
Ascend Network Partner Interfaith Community Services (ICS) is accepting applications for its Single Mom Scholars program, which empowers single mothers with low incomes in Pima County, Arizona, to earn college degrees while supporting their children’s growth and development. The deadline to apply is October 24, 2025.
Apply Now: Prenatal-to-Three Impact Lab
The National League of Cities’ Prenatal-to-Three Impact Lab is inviting cities to apply to join a nine-month learning and action series designed to help local leaders integrate PN3 strategies into their city’s priorities to improve outcomes for expectant parents and children ages three and under. Applications are due by October 31, 2025, and up to 16 cities will be selected.
Empower LA Parents: Fully Funded Training Opportunity
Does your organization serve families with children ages 0–3 in Los Angeles County? AP-OD (Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors) is offering full scholarships to participate in the 4th Edition of its Train Up Curriculum, which is designed to equip staff with tools to empower parents as leaders and advocates for their children. Apply by October 17.
Stories & Accomplishments
Explore these new stories to inspire and advance how you partner with families.
Ascend Fellows Named to the TIME100 Next ListTwo Ascend Fellows were recognized in the TIME100 Next 2025 list: Dara Eskridge ‘23, CEO of Invest STL, who amplifies community voice in neighborhood development and drives investments that build equitable, thriving communities, and Layla Zaidane ‘22, President and CEO of Future Caucus, who leads the largest nonpartisan network of young lawmakers in the U.S., bridging divides and advancing future-focused policy. |
New Microsite: Postsecondary Leadership Circle Activation FundEstablished in 2023, the Postsecondary Leadership Circle Activation Fund supported community colleges to create lasting, family-friendly campuses for student parents. The new microsite highlights replicable strategies tested by select community college partners, alongside Ascend’s Tapping the Talent of Student Parents Playbook. |
2Gen Care Clinic for Postnatal Care Launches in CharlotteCare Ring in Charlotte, North Carolina, has opened a Two-Generation (2Gen) Clinic providing postnatal care for mothers and wellness services for babies and families together in a single visit, ensuring more consistent care to both mothers and babies and connections to basic needs resources for the whole family. |
Child Benefits: A Smart Investment for America’s FutureA recent episode of an Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) podcast features Dr. Jane Waldfogel, Professor at Columbia University and IRP affiliate, discussing her new book Child Benefits: A Smart Investment for America’s Future. Dr. Waldfogel explains how consistent, unconditional child benefits can reduce child poverty, prevent material hardship, and support family well-being. |
Recent Research & Reports
Our 2Gen Resource Library has hundreds of free and evidence-informed materials to advance your 2Gen work. Read these new resources authored by Ascend staff, Ascend Fellows, and partners about building whole family well-being.
New Report Highlights Rural and Indigenous Community-Driven Strategies
The Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group released a report highlighting community-driven approaches to rural and Indigenous economic development and well-being. The report emphasizes asset-based strategies – including the WealthWorks framework – that build on local knowledge, culture, and social capital to foster sustainable prosperity, address inequities, and support resilient, thriving communities.
New Report Highlights Breakthrough Strategies to Support Young Student Parents
Ascend Funder Annie E. Casey Foundation released a new report highlighting lessons from its Expanding Opportunities for Young Families Initiative. The report showcases how communities and colleges – including Ascend Network Partners Miami Dade College and Santa Fe Community College – are supporting young student parents through two-generation strategies such as student success coaches, parenting advisory groups, and flexible programs to improve outcomes for whole families.
Social Return on Investment Analysis: Analysis of Four Key Programmes at Crann
A new report from Ascend Network Partner Crann Centre, based in Ireland, quantifies the social return on investment of its services, showing how their two-generation model for families with neuro-physical disabilities yields €3.68 in social value for every €1 invested.
New Prenatal-to-3 State Policy Roadmap Debuts
Ascend Network Partner Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center released its 2025 State Policy Roadmap, which tracks states’ adoption of policies and strategies that support infants, toddlers, and families. The report also introduces a new policy impact calculator showing how wages, paid leave, and other supports shape the financial resources available to families.
Building Social Capital as a Pathway to Economic Mobility
Ascend Network Partner Circles USA released a one-page social capital guide that that highlights how relationships influence the journey out of poverty. It outlines three types of social capital: bonding (peer connections), bridging (connections across groups), and linking (access to resources, institutions, and systems), and why each is essential for economic mobility.
New Community Outcomes Data Dashboard in Montgomery County
Ascend Network Partner Learn to Earn Dayton and the Montgomery County Two-Generation Collaborative have launched the Community Outcomes Data Dashboard, a public tool tracking financial, health, educational, and neighborhood outcomes across Montgomery County, Ohio. By aggregating data from multiple organizations, the dashboard helps partners target resources and strengthen an integrated system that supports children, families, and communities.
Upcoming Webinars & Convenings
Ascend fosters dialogue with communities from across the country to build connections, learn from one another, and document promising practices for family well-being.
Aspen Ideas: Economy
October 20 - 21, 2025
Join the Aspen Institute as it debuts its newest essential forum, Aspen Ideas: Economy, bringing together the public, leaders, scholars, and innovators to explore the forces shaping our economy and our lives. Ascend will host a session focused on community-centered principles and strategies, highlighting ways to anticipate and respond to disruptions in the care economy while supporting family wealth creation.
Fall 2025 Family Support Summit
October 22 – 23, 2025
11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET (9 a.m. – 3 p.m. MT)
Join Ascend Network Partner the National Family Support Network for the Fall 2025 Family Support Summit. This two-day convening will bring together peers, parents, and national leaders to exchange insights and explore practical strategies on fatherhood, parent leadership, and program stability, all focused on strengthening families and communities.
Contribute to the 2Gen Movement
Embedding family voice and community input are core to making a 2Gen approach relevant, accessible, and effective. Help us learn from your work and elevate your community's expertise on a national level.
The Aspen Institute Ascend Network is a community of more than 600 organizations from across the US and beyond that uses 2Gen approaches in their work so that children and families can reach their full potential. The Ascend Network connects leaders from across sectors with diverse areas of expertise so that we build relationships, spark connections, and co-create innovative solutions that lead to better outcomes for families. If your organization isn't already in the Network, take a 15-minute survey to join.
Thank you for all the work you do to improve outcomes for children and their families.
Best,
Laura Huerta Migus
Director of Fellowship Alumni Engagement and National Activation & Impact
Ascend at the Aspen Institute
Stephanie Brueck-Cassoli
Senior Program Manager,
Ascend at the Aspen Institute
Jordan Colvin
Program Associate, 2Gen Practice
Ascend at the Aspen Institute
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