New England Kurn Hattin Homes was founded in 1894 by Reverend Charles Albert Dickinson, who believed that young children in need could be better cared for in a nurturing rural setting rather than the urban childcare institutions which existed at the time in the Boston area. Today our mission and commitment to provide services to children and families are as strong as they were when Reverend Dickinson began his efforts. Kurn Hattin Homes offer a safe and caring year-round, charitable home and state-approved school dedicated to helping children grow up to become happy, productive members of society. Our program specifically addresses the complex issues of family challenges and children's well-being. Annually, some 60-65 children, ages five to fifteen, and staff members form the Kurn Hattin Homes community. Our Mission Statement: Kurn Hattin Homes transforms the lives of children and their families forever.

While family challenges such as poverty and social/emotional stresses will likely never go away, Kurn Hattin Homes provides a path for children to develop more successful patterns of living and productive engagement in life. Our goal is to reach as many children as we can, offering help for families and hope for children for as long as necessary.

Source: Nonprofit submitted responses

Goal One: Work with all constituencies, past and present, to resolve concerns and restore institutional focus on our Mission of positively transforming the lives of children and their families forever.

Goal Type: Focus on core programs to achieve mission and scale back on programs not seen as core.

Goal Two: Grow institutional financial resources significantly as well as the size and diversity of the donor base.

Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).

Goal Three: Successfully complete the accreditation process through the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

Goal Type: Focus on core programs to achieve mission and scale back on programs not seen as core.

Describe an investment in leadership

Pre-Covid, we invested in staff development by sending the Dir. of Residential Services to a week-long ISM leadership training. Additionally, our Administrative Team has undergone extensive institutional assessment through the NEASC accreditation review as well as DCF and AOE reviews. We have thoroughly reviewed and revised virtually all operational policies and procedures during these reviews and as the result of writing a 40-page pandemic protocol for our organization. This has been a growth and renewal process for all staff, particularly the leadership team. Additionally, we have instituted training for all staff on Trauma-Informed-Care for children and Crisis Prevention and Intervention (CPI) protocols. Normally, we also hold a professional development Fall Conference which had to be cancelled last fall, but it is scheduled for staff (and other regional professionals) this October featuring Dr. Stephen Pimpare from UNH presenting on leadership roles regarding child poverty.

This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:

• Strategic Partnerships

• Networks of Collective Impact Efforts

• Raising Awareness

• Community Building

What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?

Outreach to related organizations includes AFP-NNE for fundraising, VT Independent School Assoc, Coalition for Residential Excellence, Council of Independent Schools, VT Principals' Assoc, High-Five, and more to engage and learn from these groups for institutional advancement and missional fulfillment. Our alignment with these and other groups amplifies our impact in exposure, recruitment, training, best practices, and fundraising. Our Annual Fall Conferences provide this for others in our region as well. We utilize radio (public and commercial), newspapers, and digital (social) media for awareness, exposure, and recruitment. Our admissions staff maintain contacts with numerous sources in schools, churches, social services, conferences, family (alumni) connections, and more to find and attract families/children who need our services.

When Gov. Scott ordered schools to close in March of 2020, our children went home, and our teachers pivoted to remote learning. Using digital media (Zoom, etc), mailed and hand-delivered paper packets, telephone calls, and even "porch visits," we maintained regular contact with over 90% of our children. Res life staff and counselors also had regular contact with families to keep children on task and families from feeling abandoned. Graduations were conducted at each graduate's home on a "trailer stage" that was driven to each home allowing for individualized ceremonies for each child/family. We used the YMCA Covid manual to develop our own specific protocols for our Summer Program and brought children back to campus for a 5-week socially-isolated "bubble" residential program for any child who wanted it. Over half of our children participated. The children and staff were tested upon arrival and lived and traveled in small groups by cottage, fully masked. We had no Covid cases through the summer. In the fall, we adapted the summer protocols for our fall semester. Children and staff were tested upon return, and all children began with a 2-week cottage-isolation before classes began. Our census numbers were reduced to 60 to allow for classroom social distancing. Meals were delivered to cottages and classrooms, eliminating our common dining hall use. Hallways were physically split in the middle with partitions to maintain one-way movement. Children remained on campus for 8-wk periods with no excursions or visits home. Every 2 wks families could visit for up to 2 hrs in outside locations on Sunday afternoons with everyone in full PPE. A 1-wk break in October allowed children to go home for a visit, and the testing regimen was repeated upon return. We repeated distance learning in December with the children at home. Sem 2 was conducted like the fall. With restrictions being eased by June, we did hold an on-campus, outdoor communal graduation under a tent.