In Allentown, Pennsylvania, residents of the Franklin Park neighborhood are deeply aware of how childhood experiences shape the future trajectory of a community. Health is often shaped by what happens outside of the healthcare system, by the resources available to a community, and experiences during the first five years of life have been proven to have long-term effects on health, educational, and economic outcomes. After a period of underinvestment in the neighborhood, Franklin Park families were looking for something better.
“The community there would tell us all the time: it’s all about consistency, and you need to build trust. They were 100% right.”
Bringing together community organizations and leaders, education, healthcare, and the City of Allentown, the Families First in Franklin Park collaborative is creating a more equitable early learning environment that sets up both children and families for success. Whether that’s through deepening relationships with residents, launching an afterschool program that centers families’ needs, or re-designing the park itself to become a place where neighbors want to gather, local partners are taking ownership of their shared responsibility to build for a healthier future, today.
Listen to their story:
Learn more about the Allentown partnership here.
