Network Updates | Quarter 2 | April 2026

By Greg Jacob and Anna Schmidt, Network Facilitators

Across the Prenatal to Age 3 Network, there has been strong momentum in building awareness and relationships around doula services. This quarter, we presented to over 80 clinicians at Mayo Clinic and Olmsted Medical Center, highlighting the positive patient outcomes associated with doula care. In celebration of World Doula Week (March 22-28), we hosted three networking events designed to connect doulas with healthcare providers and encourage referrals. We are also launching “Donuts with Doulas,” a series of community-based, circle-style conversations that create space for learning and relationship-building. Altogether, these efforts aim to increase community understanding of doula services while strengthening collaboration between clinicians and doulas, which we believe will lead to increased access to adequate prenatal care, the population-level outcome that we seek to address.

Local doulas participating in World Doula Week events throughout Rochester

We are excited to continue growing our online Doula Directory, which now includes 15 doulas. This resource is an important tool for increasing access and visibility, helping connect families and providers with trusted doulas in the community.

The Transition to Kindergarten Network is focused on strengthening social and emotional learning (SEL) supports for both children and the adults who care for them. Current efforts include aligning home visiting programs to incorporate cross-generational SEL education and collaborating with potential partners to define meaningful ways to work together. By centering adult SEL development, the network is working to ensure caregivers are equipped to better support young children as they transition to kindergarten. Additionally, the group is convening community partners to better understand existing efforts and identify how the network can add value and support to this important work.

Members of our Transition to Kindergarten Network learn about the Network Lifecycle

Within the High School Graduation Network, the Financial Aid Workgroup has been actively supporting students and families through the FAFSA completion process. This includes co-hosting ECMC College Night events at each of Rochester’s three public high schools, following up with students who have started but not yet completed their applications, and organizing FAFSA Completion Nights with on-site assistance for financial aid forms. At the same time, the Work-Based Learning Group has shifted its focus, taking a deeper look at the current landscape of opportunities in Rochester, along with five- and 10-year workforce projections. Through this analysis, the group identified a need to build stronger, more sustainable partnerships between employers and student-serving programs, which will guide their work moving forward. By focusing on these two tactics, we seek to increase graduation rates across our community.