From the Desk of the CEO: Our Priorities in 2023

Kristen Davis is the President & CEO of Nurture the Next.

A new year has begun. And while we have big ambitions for 2023—many of which are included in our 2023-2025 Strategic Plan—this is not a radical transformation for us. Rather, it is a recommitment to the fundamentals of service, compassion, and determination that drove us to great success last year.

At Nurture the Next, we look forward to unveiling our new strategic plan later this year. This three-year blueprint will define our core priorities and guide our organization. The plan is centered on ensuring excellence for all the services and support we provide to families and empowering them in their daily lives.

Our work will continue to center around the following priorities:

1. Providing High-Quality Service and Support for Families

This includes expanding our offerings for families, increasing their effectiveness, and ensuring families continue to receive the support they need in the way they need it. We can build stronger and more resilient children by providing families with continual, layered, and targeted support.

2. Breaking Cycles of Child Abuse and Neglect

As the local Tennessee charter of Prevent Child Abuse America, we are laser-focused on protecting children and mitigating abuse and neglect across the state. The research that informs our evidence-based programs demonstrates the connection between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)—like abuse and neglect—with negative outcomes in education, health, and lifelong earning potential. Rooting this out of our communities will always remain a priority for our organization.

3. Amplifying Parent Voices

No constituency will be impacted more by the decisions today’s leaders make than our children. Yet far too often, their needs, priorities, and well-being are not always top of mind. However, when we elevate parent voices, we raise awareness about family priorities and empower our children. Social movements that begin in local communities can lead to tidal waves of positive changes.

4. Destigmatizing Parent Support

We understand there exists a stigma around reaching out for help, especially concerning parenting. We believe education is our best tool because people do better when they know better. Parenting is challenging. For parents blessed with robust support systems and stable employment, this will still be a difficult transition to manage. It can feel nearly impossible for those without a partner—let alone a support system. When we don’t support parents, we fail our children and imperil our future.

Making real change in local communities is not something that one person, family, or organization can do alone.

I’m inviting you to participate in a monthly challenge program this year. Each month, I will share a video with a new and unique way that you can participate in and help make a difference for Tennessee families.

We hope you will join us in our efforts to make Tennessee a happier, healthier, and safer place to live.