Community Change: Lessons from Making Connections

This report starts with an overview of the Making Connections initiative and its focus on improving outcomes for disadvantaged children. Strategies include strengthening 1) family connections to economic opportunity, 2) positive social networks and 3) trustable services and supports in local neighborhoods and communities. The report offers a set of overarching lessons that emerged from the work, including recognizing and dealing with the complexity of place-based community change efforts, the importance of parent and resident engagement, using a data-driven approach and defining success