In Crisis
2Gen
Two- Generation (2Gen): A Whole Family Approach
The two-generation approach (2Gen) is a framework that leverages the strengths, resources, and motivation of families and communities to create a pathway for economic mobility and prosperity. It focuses on supporting whole families by recognizing the importance of working with both children and parents/caregivers together. By using a holistic, family-centered lens, the approach aims to promote positive outcomes by considering various pathways and dimensions of families.
The 2Gen approach aims to increase income for families while promoting overall family well-being. It includes:
- Simultaneous services for adults and children with integrated whole family goal planning
- Continuous program evaluation and feedback collection, including adult and child voice
- Support for adult living wage employment
- Support of child development and education (focus on 0-12 years of age)
- Intentional opportunities for families to increase their social capital
- A commitment to equity
The centering of family voice and equity are fundamental components throughout all stages of 2Gen approaches, from initial brainstorming through to implementation and evaluation. The 2Gen approach aims to build overall family wellbeing, including the financial, social, mental, and spiritual aspects of families. It utilizes a framework consisting of six interconnected components: social capital, health and wellbeing, economic assets, post-secondary education and employment pathways, K-12 education and early childhood education. These components are essential for families to thrive and require coordination of services and community partnerships. This approach believes in the expertise of parents and caregivers. It focuses on supporting families’ already existent internal resources and eliminating barriers in the pathway as a means to unlock family potential to reach greater economic mobility and wellbeing.
2Gen Community Learning Opportunities
2Gen Lunch and Learn Series
Bi-monthly, virtual sessions that will focus on specific topics within the 2Gen approach in more detail. Individuals from any level of the organization are invited to attend these sessions to learn more about the 2Gen Approach and engage in conversations about each topic. Each session will include an informational presentation about the specific topic and recommended best and promising practices from the field, reflections by a program or organization engaged in 2Gen work and ways they apply the concept in real life, and time for community sharing and discussion.
New topic sessions will be identified by participants in the Lunch and Learn Series through end of session surveys.
2Gen Lancaster Community of Practice
Bi-monthly, in-person sessions designed to engage in peer learning to deepen the understanding and practice of a 2Gen, whole family approach in our work across Lancaster. This Community of Practice is intended for supervisors and people in direct practice roles that are involved in 2Gen, family-centered work. The Community of Practice time will be used to engage with other people across organizations to wrestle with 2Gen concepts, share ideas about what is working and what is not working, generate new opportunities for partnership and collaboration across the 2Gen gear areas, and improve our work together.
Each session will focus on the previous month’s lunch and learn topic, allowing the group to take time to explore that topic with their teams and work with families and come back together to reflect and deepen the applications. While the first three meeting dates, times and topics are outlined below, future sessions will be determined by the core group of Community of Practice participants
Whole Family Consulting
As a part of our commitment to furthering the Whole Family Approach in Lancaster, we have developed a set of tools and resources we can offer to others, based on our internal learning, and the best and promising practices from the broader 2Generation and Whole Family Approach networks.
2Gen Initiatives at CAP
Recognizing the interconnectedness of families’ needs, CAP has adopted a holistic approach that addresses both the parents’ and children’s well-being simultaneously. By embracing the 2Gen model, CAP has transformed the lives of families, empowering them to thrive and build a brighter future together.