Community Brief 2026
Welcome to KConnect’s Community Brief, your window into the work of systems change across Kent County. Here you’ll find updates on shared strategies, data insights, and stories from partners who are working together to create a future where every child and family can thrive, no matter their starting point. This brief highlights both progress and opportunities, reminding us that lasting change happens when people, organizations, and data move forward together.
Salvador López, President & CEO
A Letter From Our President & CEO
Think about a child born today in Kent County.
Before that child walks into their first classroom, much of their future is already taking shape. Does their family have a stable home? Can their parents and supporters find childcare they trust and can afford? Is there a doctor nearby, and a park where they can play safely?
They bring it all to school. Then come the milestones: learning to read, gaining confidence in math, finding a mentor who believes in them, discovering a career that excites them, and landing a job that can support a family.
Most of a child’s life happens outside the classroom: at home, in the neighborhood, at the library and rec center, and eventually at work. The people in those places, from parents and childcare providers to teachers, coaches, faith leaders, and neighbors, shape their path. A child’s success depends on them and on how well our community supports them.
What to Expect in the 2026 Brief
2026 Data and Scorecard
Data plays a pivotal role in the success of Collective Impact organizations by providing a solid foundation for informed decision-making. KConnect relies on data to understand the nuances of the challenges we seek to address.
Collective Impact in Action
Improving outcomes for children and families requires more than isolated programs or short-term solutions. It requires systems that are designed to support people at every stage of their journey, from early childhood through adulthood. Across Kent County, partners are working together to understand challenges, align resources, and build new approaches that address the root causes impacting opportunity.
PACE Highlights
Through shared advocacy, collective learning, and coordinated action, KConnect and partners are working to ensure that local and state decisions reflect the needs of our community.
Dive Deeper
Download the 2026 Community Brief
Additional Resources
Collective Impact 101
Collective Impact is a collaborative approach to addressing complex social issues by bringing together cross-sector stakeholders to work towards a common goal.
KConnect Structure
We are more than a backbone organization—we’re a complex system of teams and partners working in tandem to create lasting change. Our network includes our Cross-Cutting Workgroups, Align & Design Teams, Board Members, and the Backbone team.
KConnect Workplan
Eight Success Measures span the prenatal to career continuum. Within these Success Measures are 27 Indicators. We believe that by measuring and developing strategies under these categories, we will be able to improve outcomes in a significant way.
At KConnect, we use the following three words to describe our work. Explore how we embody these ideas.
Curious
Exploring, analyzing, and visualizing data that few organizations can or are willing to explore
Using this data to encourage others to ask questions that have previously been unasked
Gathering knowledge and opinions from cross-sector partners with various perspectives
Fostering conversation between community members, partners, organizations, government, and philanthropy that may not typically find themselves seated at the same table
Creative
Developing innovative solutions to close disparity gaps along the prenatal to career continuum
Fostering a culture of innovation that benefits from creative thinking, experimentation, and risk-taking
Experimenting and creating innovative strategies, frameworks, and tools that are new to the community or focus area
Working to make invisible systems visible, fostering a sense of belonging, and crafting solutions for our shared future
Courageous
Challenging the status quo to change systems and structures that perpetuate disparities by disrupting norms, sharing stories, and highlighting applicable data
Being open and willing to address the root causes of these systemic inequities, which tackles the deep-rooted issues that can upset some system leaders and organizations
Addressing inequities by confronting those who uphold an unjust system
Embracing uncertainty and taking risks when developing solutions to complex problems
Acknowledging or owning that failure is a part of a courageous process