Vulnerable children and families have very diverse needs, and no one program can fulfill all of them. “It takes a village to raise a child,” is an African proverb that means that children grow best when supported by an entire community of people. Supporting the development of that system is one way organizations can support children and families, understanding that we can only meet their needs by working together.
Building a system to care for vulnerable children and families starts with community mapping. Community mapping is a process of identifying and cataloging who is doing what in a given geographical area. It allows us to identify key stakeholders, learn about currently available services, pinpoint gaps in services, and facilitate collaboration.
In a June 2021 Virtual Collaborate DISCUSS session, over 30 global leaders from 20 nations brainstormed about community mapping projects in their cultural contexts.
