A Place to Turn: Waypoint Expands Family Support on the Seacoast  

Families do not always know where to turn when they have questions about their child’s development, need help navigating services, or simply want a place where they feel supported.  

Across New Hampshire, Waypoint is working to make that help easier to find at our Family Resource Centers and families on the Seacoast can now find this in Stratham. 

Waypoint has provided services in the greater Seacoast region for years, including early intervention. The Richie McFarland Children’s Center had also been an important resource for families. In early 2022, the two organizations came together, combining deep experience in supporting families, especially those navigating developmental delays, disabilities, and the questions that come with a child’s earliest years. 

Today, Waypoint is building that foundation by developing the Stratham site into a true Family Resource Center—our fifth in the state. 

Support Starts Here 

For families, a Family Resource Center is more than a place to access programs. It is a place to ask questions, find connections, and know that someone is there to help.  

At Stratham, families can participate in parent education workshops, attend playgroups where children can practice new skills, connect with needed services, and talk with trusted professionals who can help them better understand their child’s development. 

For many families, support begins with the simple relief of knowing they are not alone. 

“It is reassuring knowing someone is there to help and answer questions for me,” shared one participant. 

That sense of connection can make a meaningful difference, particularly when families are trying to understand what their child needs or figure out what comes next. 

Support that grows with families 

The Stratham center also helps families connect with the broader range of services available through Waypoint, including Early Supports and Services, home visiting, and health care coordination for families of children with chronic illness  

For one family, that support has helped their child make meaningful progress: 

“Waypoint has given us so many great suggestions to help our child grow and develop. She has made such big strides since being in the program!” 

These connections are at the heart of Waypoint’s approach: helping families access support early and making it easier to find the right resources without having to navigate everything alone. 

Built around community need 

The growth of the Stratham site into a Family Resource Center is one example of how Waypoint adapts its services in response to what families and communities need. 

Across all our Family Resource Centers, programs are shaped by listening to parents and caregivers, including families who have participated in Waypoint services. Their experiences help us understand local needs and develop programs that respond to real challenges and opportunities. 

A resource for the whole family 

When services are strengthened in a community, families gain earlier access to help, communities gain stronger partners, and New Hampshire’s family support system becomes more connected. 

Together with our donors and community partners, Waypoint can continue creating places where families know they do not have to navigate the journey alone.