By Becca Bice, Director of Economic Advancement
“When we first reached out to United Way for support, our only thought was increasing child care options for young parents trying to re-engage with education. Becoming involved with United Way’s 2-Gen initiative and the 2-Gen provider network helped us to understand the importance of high-quality early childhood education and how that integrated with our education and training programs to create the greatest impact for the families we work with.” -American YouthWorks
In 2018, United Way for Greater Austin released the Family Opportunity Roadmap: Austin/Travis County 2-Generation Strategic Plan, drafted in partnership with more than 200 representatives from local service providers, public agencies, educational institutions, and communities with lived experience of poverty.
2-Generation (or 2-Gen) approaches serve parents and children from the same family deliberately and simultaneously and can lead to better outcomes for both generations of a family. The 2-Gen Strategic Plan set common goals and strategies for creating an ecosystem of 2-Gen programs and services for families living with low income in Austin/Travis County.
The 2-Gen Coalition, together with United Way for Greater Austin, stewarded this plan over five years and generated some incredible results, such as:
- Served 3,577 families with a 2-Gen approach in 2023
- Invested $3.7 million in 23 local 2-Gen organizations from 2018-2023
- Partnered with 67 community members and 274 individuals in 2023
- Reached success milestones with 70% of our strategies, with 26% of them adopted by another coalition suited to reach success or modified to fit our clients’ needs
- Developed family-friendly partner organization practices
- Established parent leadership, both in the 2-Gen Coalition and other community groups
United Way for Greater Austin has released a 2019-2023 2-Gen Coalition Strategic Plan Wrap-Up Report to expand upon these findings and share what’s next for this community-wide plan and the 2-Gen Coalition.
The work of the 2-Gen Coalition continues—and you can expect a new strategic plan to be released this summer. But for now, I encourage us to take a moment to celebrate the incredible work of dedicated community partners, parent leaders, and United Way staff that led to the outcomes above. Together, we truly have the drive, ability, and influence to create the empowered future we seek for all families in our community.
“Being part of the coalition means working together for better opportunities for our broader community. We’re grateful to collaborate with amazing partner agencies on multifaceted strategies to dismantle barriers and foster conducive environments. We know we can’t fix everything overnight, but every little step we take, from learning opportunities and networking to advocacy work groups, helps parents and guardians go after their dreams, whether it’s getting more education or moving up in their careers for a stable life.”– Goodwill Central Texas
Together, we can continue building a prosperous Central Texas. Join our movement at www.unitedwayaustin.org/get-involved.