By many measures, Maine children face greater challenges to their well-being than their peers in other states. For instance, Maine has one of the highest rates of childhood anxiety in the nation. Nearly 20% of Maine kids — that’s 45,000 children — don’t have reliable access to enough food. And the Annie E. Casey Foundation has ranked Maine last in New England for overall childhood well-being.

These statistics reflect the incredible adversity many Maine children face. But the numbers also shed light on the underlying difficulties their families are navigating.

What we know intuitively, and what research supports, is that a child’s well-being is inextricably linked to that of their parents, families and caregivers. Kids do best when the people who care for them are able to provide what they need to succeed. Families want the best outcomes for their children, but some face complex barriers to providing fundamental supports. These include stability, connections to caring adults, and steady access to essentials like food, housing and healthcare. When parents and caregivers struggle to provide these supports – for any number of reasons, from economic hardship to their own unmet needs – kids can experience lifelong consequences.

But there is a way to change this trajectory.

Throughout the state, a wave of innovative new programs are helping to address these troubling statistics. What they have in common is taking a two-generation approach to meet the needs of kids and their caregivers simultaneously. Practiced across the country, this evidence-based approach has shown success in improving circumstances for whole families. Children in particular benefit from the direct support the approach offers them, as well as the ways it helps caregivers create the conditions for them to thrive.

In recent years, these two-generation approaches have become an increasingly powerful force for creating brighter futures for children and their families in Maine. Here are just a few examples.

Moving Families Forward — a partnership between Bangor Housing and the Boys & Girls Club of Bangor – works to help families increase their economic security and build greater well-being overall. For parents, the program provides access to education, career training and a federal program that enables them to build savings as their income increases. For kids, the program offers after-school care, education support, social opportunities and more. Additionally, Bangor Housing implements the Mental Health Outreach for Mothers (MOMS) partnership. This program provides mental health support to mothers with depression so they are better able to care and provide for their children.

Operated by Northern Light Mercy Hospital, McAuley Residences in Portland and Bangor help mothers through substance-use recovery, provide support to their children and reunify families. While children access counseling and early learning, mothers receive coaching to pursue the education and career opportunities they need to make a successful, long-term recovery for themselves and their families.

Another two-generation initiative of Northern Light Mercy Hospital – this one in partnership with In Her Presence – provides transitional housing and healthcare to unhoused expectant mothers of color and their young children. It also offers a broad array of services to support residents’ immediate needs and long-term success.

In MaineHealth’s Portland and Rockland pediatric offices, early childhood support specialists work alongside doctors to ensure that families facing adversity can support the healthy development of their children. The services these specialists provide include connecting families to assistance programs; providing parenting guidance and information about developmental milestones; securing essentials like food, car seats and diapers; and building trust between families and healthcare providers.

The John T. Gorman Foundation has worked with its partners to support all the programs above. It is also tracking how effective these initiatives are at creating positive outcomes for the families they serve. Results so far have included parents with higher incomes and financial assets; an increasing number of kids receiving educational, emotional and health supports; and families with stronger connections to each other and their communities.

With a mission of making Maine a more equitable place where all children and families can thrive, the John T. Gorman Foundation is proud to share the stories of these programs. In the weeks ahead, this series will take a deeper dive into the challenges that Maine children and their families face, as well as the promising two-generation partnerships that are giving them a chance of a brighter future.