Highlights from the Help Me Grow National Forum 2025
Last week, Hartford, Connecticut, distinguished itself as the host city for the Help Me Grow National Forum 2025. This esteemed event convened more than 300 participants nationwide, including a diverse assembly of leaders, advocates, parents, and funders. The aim was to encourage collaborative learning, aid professional development, and strengthen crucial partnerships, all with a focus on promoting equity in early childhood systems. The forum was an exceptional venue for sharing best practices, discussing systemic challenges, and forging new alliances, all to ensure optimal developmental opportunities for all children from infancy.
A notable highlight was a profoundly impactful session, co-led by our Manager of Strategic Initiatives, Rebecca Rueda, in collaboration with two longstanding partners: My Health My Resources of Tarrant County and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. The "Not All Superheroes Wear Capes: Events Created by Parents and For Parents" session aimed to cultivate parent leadership and engagement across 18 counties served by Help Me Grow North Texas. It also shared best practices for community partners establishing the Help Me Grow North Texas Regional Family Leadership Summit, an event conceptualized and executed by family leaders for family leaders, which held its third annual summit this May.
“In early childhood systems, if we’re not doing the work with families and for families, we’re missing the mark. This work is hard, and it should be. But it becomes possible when we come together with partners who share the same mission: to uplift and strengthen families.
I’m deeply grateful for the partners in our community who are committed to listening to families, learning from them, and finding meaningful ways to meet their needs. We cannot do this work alone and thankfully; we don’t have to.
Together, we are stronger. Together, we can make a difference.”
This session uniquely involved parents from Help Me Grow North Texas' Family Advisory Council as co-presenters, significantly enhancing discussions on responsive and inclusive initiatives for young children and families. Their invaluable contributions offered insights from lived experiences, highlighting overlooked challenges and opportunities. Their presence also instilled urgency by sharing personal journeys and underscoring the importance of timely interventions. Finally, their firsthand experience as primary caregivers provided practical perspectives on effective policies and programs, ensuring the dialogue was both academic and practical. This co-presentation exemplified the power of authentic partnership in building an equitable early learning ecosystem.
The Early Learning Alliance strengthens its long-standing partnership with My Health My Resource of Tarrant County, a vital resource for child development. This collaboration has been central since the Help Me Grow North Texas Regional Family Leadership Summit. As a valued partner, we share a commitment to empowering families and young children to thrive. This involves fostering family leadership and dismantling systemic barriers to early learning and developmental opportunities, ensuring every North Texas child reaches their full potential with informed family support.
United Way of Metropolitan Dallas plays a pivotal role in advancing the mission of Help Me Grow North Texas, partnering to amplify family leadership and equitable early childhood support across 18 countries. Their collaboration shines through impactful initiatives like the annual Regional Family Leadership summit.
“As we continue building a more interconnected and inclusive early childhood ecosystem in North Texas, it is both inspiring and essential to connect, collaborate, and drive meaningful change alongside dedicated community partners. By fostering partnerships with a diverse group of caregivers, families, and organizations, we gain deeper insight into what truly works—and where persistent barriers remain—for the families we serve. Together, we are shaping more accessible, empowered communities where every family has the opportunity to grow, thrive, and reach their full potential.”
We’re proud to stand alongside partners who prioritize listening and elevate family leadership. Together, we’re shaping a future where every voice matters and every child thrives.
