Dalton/Whitfield County Family Connection

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Dalton, GA
Dalton/Whitfield County Family Connection

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Our Family Connection Collaborative is committed to helping our families & children be safe, healthy and educated; therefore creating a strong community

10/28/2026

Last week, our Dalton/Whitfield Family Connection Coordinator attended the Georgia Family Connection Conference on Jekyll Island, joining coordinators and partners from communities across the state.

The conference offered a great opportunity to learn, connect, and grow! Highlights included:

✨ Sharing our Building a Region of Resilience (BRRNWGA) work through a poster presentation
✨ Learning more about poverty, leadership, and strengthening communities
✨ Hearing inspiring messages from keynote speakers and panelists
✨ Connecting with Family Connection colleagues and partners from across Georgia

Opportunities like these help strengthen our own capacity while also bringing new ideas, perspectives, and connections back home to Dalton and Whitfield County.

We’re grateful to be part of a statewide network committed to improving outcomes for Georgia’s children and families. 💚

10/26/2026

The Abilities Without Limits Conference and Resource Fair are this Friday, October 30th! The resource fair is FREE! Check out the flyers for details.

10/23/2026

🌿 Friday Regulation Check-In: Build Your Regulation Toolbox

Not every big feeling needs the same response.

Sometimes our bodies need to move.
Sometimes we need to slow down and breathe.
Sometimes we need connection.
Sometimes we just need a quiet place to reset.

Helping children build a “regulation toolbox” gives them healthy ways to respond when they feel frustrated, worried, overwhelmed, or upset.

A few tools to try:

• Take a walk or do wall pushes
• Stretch, dance, or move your body
• Take slow belly breaths
• Squeeze a stress ball or play with play dough
• Get a drink of cold water
• Listen to music or color
• Sit with a trusted adult or ask for a hug
• Practice saying, “I need a break,” or “Can you help me?”

💡 The goal isn’t to find one perfect calming strategy. Different tools work for different children — and different feelings.

This week, ask your child:
“What helps your body feel calm?”
“What helps when you’re mad, worried, or overwhelmed?”

Then choose a few tools to practice together.

💛 Different feelings may need different tools.

10/22/2026

Check out the Boys and Girls Club Fall Festival tonight!

10/21/2026

💜🎶 Louder Together: Breaking the Silence! 🎶💜

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and we're encouraging our community to come together in support of survivors and the important work of the NWGA Family Crisis Center!

Join them this Saturday for their FREE Louder Together Music Festival!

📅 Saturday, October 24, 2026

🕑 2:00 PM – 10:00 PM

📍 Burr Park | Downtown Dalton

🎶 Live music, food, drinks, vendors, and activities for kids!

Domestic violence impacts individuals, children, families, and entire communities. Creating safe, supportive environments where people can access resources, connection, and healing takes all of us.

💜 Let's show up, raise awareness, and support an organization making a difference in our community!

📞 NWGA Family Crisis Center 24-Hour Crisis Line: 706-278-5586

10/19/2026

There are only 3 more weeks of Sharing is Caring Community Christmas Whitfield County, Georgia classes!

Visit the website to https://dwsharingiscaring.my.canva.site/ to see a list of remaining classes!

10/16/2026

🌿 Friday Regulation Check-In: Name It to Tame It

Sometimes what we see on the outside — yelling, shutting down, arguing, crying, refusing — is only the tip of the iceberg.

Underneath the behavior, a child may be feeling worried, embarrassed, frustrated, overwhelmed, disappointed, or unsure of what to do next.

One way we can help children build self-regulation is by teaching them to notice and name what is happening inside their bodies.

You might help them put words to it:

• “My stomach feels tight.”
• “My face feels hot.”
• “My heart is beating fast.”
• “I feel worried.”
• “I’m getting really frustrated.”
• “This feels overwhelming.”

When children can begin to recognize their body signals and name their emotions, they are better able to communicate what they need and eventually choose a coping strategy that helps.

And when they don’t have the words yet, we can help by gently wondering with them:
“I noticed your body got really tense when that happened. I wonder if you were feeling nervous or frustrated?”

💛 Behavior is what we see. Feelings and needs may be underneath.

This week, try helping your child notice one body signal or put a name to one big feeling.

10/14/2026

💜 Wear Purple Tomorrow — Thursday, October 15!💜

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and tomorrow, October 15, is Purple Thursday, a day to wear purple in support of survivors of domestic violence and to raise awareness about the importance of safe, healthy relationships.

Domestic violence affects more than just the individuals experiencing it. Its impact can extend to children, families, and entire communities. Exposure to violence and unsafe relationships can create lasting stress and trauma, making safety, connection, and supportive relationships especially important.

At Dalton/Whitfield Family Connection, we believe that every child and family deserves to feel safe, supported, and connected.

Here's how you can participate tomorrow:
💜 WEAR PURPLE to show your support for survivors.

💜 SHARE LOCAL RESOURCES such as, NWGA Crisis Center, so people know where to turn when they need help.

💜 SPREAD AWARENESS by sharing a photo of yourself, your workplace, or your team wearing purple!

Awareness is an important first step, but building a community where individuals and families can access safety, support, and healing takes all of us.

💜 Tomorrow, let's turn Dalton and Whitfield County PURPLE!

10/12/2026

Join us Thursday for our October Collaborative Meeting!

During this meeting, we'll:
🔢Look at local ACEs/PCEs Data
👩‍💼Learn about local Domestic Violence Awareness

Join us:
📆Thursday, October 15th
🕐 1:00–2:30 PM
📍 Mack Gaston Community Center

10/09/2026

🌿 Friday Regulation Check-In: Connect Before You Correct

When a child is overwhelmed, upset, or dysregulated, correction usually isn’t the first thing they need. They often need co-regulation first — a calm, steady adult who can help them feel safe enough to settle.

Before jumping into consequences, problem-solving, or explaining what they should have done differently, try:

• Get close and stay calm.
• Lower your voice.
• Name what you notice: “I can see you’re really frustrated.”*
• Help them settle before trying to solve the problem.

Once their body is calmer, they are much more ready to listen, learn, and make a different choice.

💛 Calm first. Correct second.

And remember: connecting first doesn’t mean ignoring behavior or removing boundaries. It simply means helping a child get regulated enough to actually hear the correction.

Address

Dalton, GA
30721

Website

http://whitfield.gafcp.org/

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