The Connecting the Dots (CTD) project

Picture of The Center for Children’s Health Assessment, Research Translation, and Combating Environmental Risk (CHARTER)

The Center for Children’s Health Assessment, Research Translation, and Combating Environmental Risk (CHARTER)

Emory University and University of Georgia

Connecting the Dots (CTD) is a family-centered approach that uses home visiting and coaching to connect families with resources to improve overall family well-being. In CTD, families are engaged during the mother’s prenatal period and continue through the child’s first two years of life. CTD navigators (Social Workers) will work with community partners to support families in overcoming barriers to obtain livable wage employment and ensure babies are prepared to succeed in future schooling.

How it Works:
The CTD Navigators will coach families residing in Fulton County who receive prenatal care at Grady Memorial Hospital and its community health centers. Navigators will work alongside families for up to two years coaching them through early childhood language and brain development strategies along with providing support for their education or training needs to gain employment that allows them to achieve self-sufficiency. Throughout the program, families will be connected to community resources to ensure that they have opportunities for educational advancement and increased economic mobility.

Georgia is plagued with stark economic mobility and educational achievement disparities that disproportionately impact certain racial and socioeconomic groups. A 2018 Bloomberg report ranked Atlanta, Georgia, as the worst city in the United States for economic mobility. Third grade reading achievement, a significant predictor of high school graduation, is one of the lowest for children from economically challenged households. Together, these obstacles create considerable opportunity costs for Atlanta’s children, parents, and families.