The Fostering Hope Initiative is a community-based program in Oregon, built around the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework. The idea is a simple one that harkens back to the well-known adage about child-rearing, it takes a village. Using a strength based approach where you look for what’s right in a community or a family, and build on that, the program recognizes that the best way to keep children safe and thriving is to invest in supporting their families with a rich scaffolding of connections. Using a Neighborhood Connector, a local resident armed with extra training and connections to resources based out of the community’s elementary school, this innovative partnership allows the Neighborhood Connector to get eyes and ears close to the ground with families who have small children. In addition, Esme actively seeks out new mothers in the community, offering connection to free resources they can attend. Coupled with a Community Cafe model, this small rural town has built an impressive and caring network of families, all looking out for each other.