About the Nonprofit
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The mission of Nurture the Next is to create a future for children and families filled with promise and prosperity. Our vision is to see all children in Tennessee thriving in safe, stable and nurturing families and communities.
Founded in 1984, Nurture the Next helps vulnerable Tennessee families build the skills and confidence to create a caring home that ensures the healthy development of their children. Parenting matters at Nurture the Next because we know it is a skill passed from one generation to the next. Nurtured children grow into resilient, capable adults, and nurturing homes are built by parents who have the knowledge and a positive support system to help. We also know it takes more than parents to raise healthy, happy children. It takes communities committed to supporting families, especially those who are most vulnerable. Nurture the Next fulfills its mission and vision of lifting up Tennessee families through the following ways:
Home Visiting Services
We provide services directly to families in their homes over an extended period of time. Home visiting is proven to be the most effective way to foster healthy parent-child relationships for families that lack a positive support system. This hands-on approach is most impactful during the first five years of a child’s life when their brain is developing the fastest, which is why we focus our work on families with young children. Our work with families can start as early as pregnancy.
Two-Generation Approach
Parenting is a skill passed down from one generation to the next. When we teach positive parenting practices, the impact is long lasting. By improving the lives of children today, we’re also improving the lives of their families for generations to come. We’re committed to meeting parents where they are, when they need us, including by phone and during a crisis.
Advocacy & Education
It takes more than parents to raise healthy, happy children. It takes communities committed to supporting families, especially those who are most vulnerable. We provide education across the state to share ways that everyone in the community can support strong families and keep children safe, and we advocate for further public investment in evidence-based family support programs, like home visiting.
