Antiracism, Equity and Inclusion at The Family Place





Antiracism, Equity and Inclusion at The Family Place

The Family Place is committed to centering antiracism and broader diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices in the many ways we do our work. 

Our staff Equity and Antiracism Committee (EAR) in collaboration with our Board DEI Committee works to help our agency cultivate a stance of curiosity and cultural humility that allows us to continue to grow, learn and practice how to be a welcoming and inclusive agency.

We continue to examine and refine our own internal policies and practices:

  • We have expanded (and continue to monitor) the materials in our waiting rooms and other public spaces to ensure they represent diverse populations with the intent that everyone will see themselves represented in some way. We continue to offer DEI-focused professional development opportunities to our staff as well as ensure that DEI perspectives are incorporated more broadly into all of our professional development efforts.
  • We are revising forms that capture demographic information to ensure that we are using inclusive and respectful language and that our client base mirrors the demographic makeup or our region.
  • We are reviewing existing policies and identifying potential new policies to make sure DEI efforts are the standard operating procedure in everything we do.
  • We continue to seek ways to recognize, listen to and partner with area DEI-related organizations and professionals as well as opportunities for advocacy within the systems of which we are a part.
  • We publish a regular Equity and Antiracism newsletter and have compiled DEI resources for our staff.

This page is our public antiracism and DEI home base. Here you will find updates, invitations to get involved, resources, and news related to our continued efforts to center this work. Stay tuned!

Click here to contact us with your ideas or questions.

 

Our Statement:

Centering Antiracism, Equity and Inclusion at The Family Place

The Family Place stands against racism, injustice, and inequity in our community and our nation.

All families and children deserve a safe and just world.

We are keenly aware – as the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University states so clearly – that “the lifelong consequences of structural inequities, systemic racism, and other threats to human well-being… begin to take root in the early childhood years.”

Structural racism and systemic abuses of power disproportionately impact Black and Brown families and children. The pervasive trauma that results is both broad and deep, damaging our entire nation.

As a majority White organization serving majority White community members in the Upper Valley region of Vermont and New Hampshire, we recognize our responsibility to center antiracism and, more broadly, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices in our work.

We commit to infusing anti-racist and equity-focused practices into the many ways we strive to support this community:

  • Reaching, serving, and supporting families and children of color more intentionally and effectively – through listening to and partnering with community organizations and groups dedicated to racial justice and healing.
  • Continuing the efforts of our standing committee on equity and inclusion to advance this work.
  • Completing an ongoing audit of our materials, practices, services, and public-facing spaces.
  • Reimaging our staff-wide professional development curricula to prioritize knowledge and skill-building focused specifically on antiracism, equity and inclusion – in both new and existing programs and training.
  • Making our antiracism, equity and inclusion work consistently attentive to intersecting identities and overlapping forms of bigotry and discrimination.

These and other ongoing commitments to organizational learning and action are necessary to advance our mission: The Family Place delivers comprehensive programs designed to strengthen positive relationships, teach essential skills, and promote enduring healthy growth for families with young children in the Upper Valley and surrounding communities.

Resource List
We choose resources to share here with our mission in mind and feel confident offering them as recommendations. Because the universe of DEI/antiracism resources is vast, we focus on local resources and those specifically useful to families with young children. We offer these resources for educational purposes and to promote further thought on the many issues involved in diversity, equity and inclusion. The opinions expressed in any individual resource represent those of the author and not necessarily of The Family Place.

Vermont DEI Organizations, Groups & Resource Pages

Vermont DEI News & Events Calendars

Additional Resources

The equity and antiracism initiative at The Family Place receives generous support from private donors and community groups. If you would like to contribute, please donate online (specifying your support of the DEI initiative as a donation note or comment).

Updated on 7/7/2023.

  • Our Mission

    The Family Place delivers comprehensive programs designed to strengthen positive relationships, teach essential skills and promote enduring healthy growth for families with young children in the Upper Valley and surrounding communities.