Family

Supporting children and families

We aspire to a future where all rural families provide children with a nurturing, safe and stable foundation for life.

A child’s early years are the most critical time for setting a positive trajectory for life. Research shows that trusted relationships with caring adults make all the difference. We want to help families access the supports they need.

What we prioritize

Parent and caregiver supports build nurturing and healthy attachments that allow children to thrive. Our communities have identified a need for programs that better match the demographics of families and the emotional needs of children. We prioritize home visiting, parenting education, early childhood mental health and other community supports for parents and caregivers.

Family financial stability helps parents access programs that exist to assist low-income families, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit. We also offer educational scholarships for parents.

Child abuse prevention protects children and improves outcomes for future generations. We fund and partner with local organizations and regional and statewide networks to prevent abuse and neglect, build awareness and strengthen systems that bring stability and safety to the most vulnerable among us.

Across generations

The “two-generation” approach recognizes that when parents and caregivers do well, kids do well. But when insecurity around basic needs, financial problems or mental health challenges arise, it can present barriers to providing the nurturing, stable and safe foundations that children need.

More to explore

Protect children: A seven-year impact evaluation

Beginning in 2015, The Ford Family Foundation invested in the movement to end child sexual abuse through Protect Our Children, a community-based training program aimed at increasing knowledge about child sexual abuse and promoting pro-prevention attitudes and prevention behaviors.

It started with breakfast

Life can be challenging for children who live with chronic health conditions. When they also experience adverse family or community circumstances — poverty, foster care, substance abuse or the death of a parent — their chances of thriving decline dramatically.