Families are the foundation of our nation and the key to its future. And that future will be so much brighter when we ensure all families are flourishing. At Ascend, we are not looking back. We are activating our network of 1000+ strong in a national call to move Forward With Families. 

Join Ascend at the Aspen Institute for the 2026 Aspen Forum on Children and Families, streaming live on Wednesday, January 28, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.

Across the Ascend Community, changemakers are demonstrating what’s possible. They are expanding access to quality, affordable child care, ensuring stable income and housing, and building systems that open doors instead of closing them. This year’s theme, Forward With Families, is also the name of Ascend’s bold new strategy to scale these solutions and more to make life affordable, opportunity accessible, and security attainable for every family in America.

At a time when so much focus is on what’s broken, Ascend strives to create places of hope and action. The Aspen Forum on Children and Families offers a rare opportunity to reframe and begin the new year with renewed energy, clarity, and connection. 

Together, we’ll lift up what’s already working in states throughout the country, spark new collaborations, and chart a course forward for families nationwide.