Editorial

Editorial from the Desk of Gaye Morris Smith
Executive Director, Family Connection Partnership

Pools are open, schools are closed, and the campaign season is well underway, which can mean only one thing: summer is upon us. Summertime is a season of renewal when families and community members spend quality time together recreating and resting. But for Family Connection Partnership, this is a time for renewing our commitment to the Family Connection collaboratives. We're preparing for changes, transitions and new initiatives that will come with the fall. By continuing to link resources to collaboratives, they can continue their work, which is vital to raising healthy children and building self-sufficient families and communities.

In this issue of Connected, we feature our recent statewide training on Collaborative Webs--a communications tool that provides each Family Connection collaborative with a vehicle to promote their work, share information, and communicate with others globally via the Internet. We also preview the upcoming Georgia KIDS COUNT release, and we highlight various collaborative news and success stories that have one thing in common. They all grew from some kind of connection.

We know that children and youth are more likely to be successful when a caring adult forges a strong connection with them. However, before families can be self-sufficient, they need to connect to the right opportunities and resources to help them excel. We believe it takes many people at many levels working together--staying connected--to improve the lives of Georgia's children and families.

I look forward to staying connected with you as we embark on a new fiscal year that promises to be exciting and challenging. Family Connection Partnership stands ready, as always, as an advocate and partner to ensure that we fulfill our vision for healthy children, self-sufficient families, and strong communities in Georgia.