Born To Thrive In Elkhart County

Welcome to a community where every child is nurtured with love and support from the very beginning. The Building Strong Brains initiative believes that every child is born to thrive! Our coalition is focused on building a comprehensive, systems-based approach to helping children succeed.

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Access Findhelp

Help for Parents & Caretakers

Download our NEW Tips for Kindergarten Readiness booklet (English/Español PDF).

These simple tips can help support your child’s development and readiness.

Click Here

Our Organizational Sponsors

With effort and collaboration, we can build a system supporting children under age 6 and the families who raise them so that every child is prepared when they enter elementary school.

A group of organizational sponsors has come together to work collaboratively.

Countdown to Kindergarten: Eight Weeks in the Books

This summer, 300 children came through Countdown to Kindergarten. Our team is still doing the careful work of assessing what those eight weeks gave them, and the full results will take time to gather. But here's what we already know without waiting on the data: eight...

Save the Date: November Coalition Summit

Mark your calendar for Tuesday, November 10, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Goshen College Fellowship Hall. Breakfast and lunch are included, and it's shaping up to be a full day. In the morning, we'll celebrate what this coalition has built together: the Health System...

Thank You, Jaden

This summer, our intern Jaden Fear spent her time strengthening Findhelp, adding partners and making it easier for families across Elkhart County to find the services they need. Friday, August 7 was her last day with us, and we want to send her off with a proper...

Planning Begins for Elkhart County’s Pop-Up Pregnancy & Family Village

Building Strong Brains is partnering with the University of Notre Dame's Eck Institute for Global Health to bring a Pop-Up Pregnancy & Family Village to Elkhart County: a one-stop gathering of services and supports for families navigating pregnancy, prenatal care,...

Countdown to Kindergarten: Free Summer Camp Enrollment Open

Starting kindergarten is a big step for any child and for any family. Countdown to Kindergarten is our tuition-free, eight-week summer camp designed to help children entering kindergarten in Fall 2026 feel confident, comfortable, and ready for that first day. Through...

New Resource: Tips for Kindergarten Readiness

Some of the most powerful kindergarten preparation doesn't happen in a classroom. It happens at the kitchen table, in the car, or on a walk around the block. Our Quality Childcare and Early Learning Environments Action Team spent the past year listening to Pre-K and...