Small Moments…. LifeLong Impact

Written by Liz Fitzgerald, Greater Nashua Smart Start Coalition
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When people think of early childhood and United Way of Greater Nashua, the Community Baby Shower often comes to mind. On April 22, UWGN hosted its 9th Annual Community Baby Shower, welcoming 139 new and expectant parents and grandparents. Thanks to dozens of volunteers, agency partners, sponsors, and an incredible outpouring of new and gently used donations from hundreds of community members, families were surrounded by support as they prepared to welcome new babies into the world. 

Although the day was cold, many hearts were warmed by the celebration of these tiny new community members. Parents learned about infant care, community resources, and parenting skills while building connections with the network of service providers that make up the Smart Start Coalition for Early Childhood Success. 
It would be easy to view the Community Baby Shower as a single day of caring — and it certainly is that. But the event also represents something much larger: an ongoing community commitment to strengthening families early, before challenges become crises. 
Throughout the year, the Smart Start Early Childhood Coalition, under United Way’s fiscal agency, works to build meaningful relationships and trusted connections with families across Greater Nashua. Smart Start is a cross-sector partnership of parents, educators, nonprofit providers, municipalities, businesses, healthcare partners, and state agencies working together to strengthen the systems that support young children and families. 
The coalition’s shared goal is simple but powerful: ensuring all children enter kindergarten healthy and ready to learn. 
To achieve this, coalition partners align efforts around four key outcomes for children birth through age eight and their families: 

• Strong and Healthy Families  

• Positive Early Learning Experiences, including access to affordable, high-quality childcare  

• A Responsive and Resilient Community grounded in authentic family engagement  

• Coordinated and Collaborative Systems that better meet local needs  

At the center of this work is Family Engagement Coordinator Stevie Klein. Stevie, a mother of a two-year-old toddler, works directly with parent leaders to create safe and supportive spaces where families can build skills, form authentic connections, and access resources. Drawing on her professional background with Head Start and Waypoint NH, Stevie helps ensure parents feel seen, heard, and empowered while helping community systems become more trauma-informed and family-centered. 
Last year, Stevie was selected to represent New Hampshire at Strolling Thunder in Washington, where she met with legislators to elevate the voices of families in Greater Nashua and advocate for the kind of community all parents want for their children. 
Family engagement work like the Community Baby Shower is not simply a “nice” thing to do — it is a strategic investment in the long-term health and success of our community. 
Research consistently shows that early family engagement and early childhood supports reduce the need for more costly interventions later in life. Every time a parent feels confident advocating for their child, every time a family connects to support early, and every time trust is built between families and providers, we strengthen the foundation for healthier children, stronger families, and more resilient communities. 
In Greater Nashua, family engagement means: 

• Helping parents understand their child’s development and feel confident in their role  

• Connecting families to resources early — before challenges escalate  

• Building trust between families and providers across healthcare, education, and community systems  

These everyday moments lead to lasting community impact: 

• Children arriving at kindergarten ready to succeed  

• Families who know where to turn for help  

• Reduced strain on crisis systems and downstream interventions  

• Stronger community connections and resilience  

Every investment made in the first five years of a child’s life helps shift our community from reacting to challenges to preventing them — together. 
Smart Start’s work is currently supported by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation for family engagement initiatives, NH Children’s Health Foundation for Trauma Informed Family Engagement, New Hampshire Children's Trust for the Diaper Pantry Network, and the Community Development Finance Authority Loan Fund for childcare workforce recruitment and sustainability efforts.