RNE 2023 Impact Report

Dear Friends,

At Resolve New England (RNE), we love creating and sharing our annual report; it allows us to reflect on the past year and welcome the new one with great optimism. And THIS year is a special one, as 2024 marks our 50th anniversary. As a community, we have much to celebrate, appreciate, and anticipate. We remain tirelessly committed to our mission of providing emotional support, education, and advocacy that are open to all people trying to grow their families.

Last year RNE completed a strategic plan that reaffirmed who we are and what matters most to us, as well as outlined ways we will respond to evolving needs. Our vision has never been clearer:

At our core, we believe that everyone who dreams of building a family should have access to fertility treatment and family building options.

We are dedicated to connecting our community members with the resources and psychosocial support needed to empower them to make informed decisions every step of the way.

Immediately working towards our strategic goals, RNE achieved many things collaboratively in 2023, including:

Implementing enhanced mental health training and consultation for our treasured peer group leaders so they can serve our community even better.
Expanding our library of exceptional informational resources that are available anytime, night or day, for people trying to grow their families.
Achieving improved access to fertility insurance coverage and streamlined protections for families throughout New England in collaboration with our valued advocacy partners.

The cornerstone of our mission is creating community because a weight shared is a weight lessened. Thank you so much for being part of our community and for making our work possible!

We hope you will take time to review our work in 2023 and engage with us on what matters to you.

Warmly,

RNE gives me hope, judgment-free support, and a sense of belonging.
RNE Community Member

Resolve New England was proud to support a confirmatory adoption bill in Rhode Island, which was signed into law by Governor Dan McKee on June 19, 2023.

Prior to this legislation, the adoption statute in the Ocean State was written only for people seeking to establish parentage, not confirm parentage, which particularly impacted LGBTQ families. With the passage of this bill, there is now a streamlined confirmatory adoption process for Rhode Islanders who are already parents of their children! This enables more children to have the security and protections of parentage as early as possible in their lives.

Thank you to all who worked so hard on this bill, especially lead sponsors Senator Dawn Euer and Representative Rebecca Kislak.

graphic that says:Connecticut’s current definition of infertility is limited and heterosexist. And for couples covered by Medicaid, it can be nearly impossible to access any fertility treatment. Diagnostic care may be covered, then they have no coverage for the care that's recommended for the diagnosis they have received.

Testimony in support of H.6617 "An Act Promoting Equity in Coverage for Fertility Health Care" Connecticut Human Services Hearing, Feb. 28, 2023

photo of members of the MA Parentage Coalition at a GLAD event in 2023

Members of the Massachusetts Parentage Coalition

graphic that says: Protected leave will give people the space to grieve and process the different types of losses and challenges that can be experienced when trying to grow a family, including pregnancy loss, an unsuccessful round of fertility treatment, and a disrupted adoption or surrogacy match.

Testimony in support of H.1988/S.1201 "An Act Relative to Pregnancy Loss Leave" Massachusetts Joint Committee on Financial Services Hearing, Oct. 24, 2023

photo collage of advocates with text that says "Thank You to all of the advocates who shared their stories in 2023."

graphic that says: Congratulations 2023 Advocacy Award Recipient MA State Senator Paul Feeney with his photo

RNE was thrilled to recognize Senator Feeney for his strong support of fertility and family building policy, as demonstrated by his co-sponsorship of all of RNE’s priority bills in Massachusetts this session.

Learn more about Senator Feeney's work with RNE.

Testimony in support of H.369, “An act relating to health insurance and Medicaid coverage for fertility-related services” Vermont Health Care Committee Hearing, May 5, 2023.

Access to care is a major priority for RNE and unfortunately VT is the only state in NE that does not have a fertility insurance law in statute.

Kate Weldon LeBlanc on Vermont Public Radio, April 25, 2023

Resolve New England was proud to support a confirmatory adoption bill in Rhode Island, which was signed into law by Governor Dan McKee on June 19, 2023.

Prior to this legislation, the adoption statute in the Ocean State was written only for people seeking to establish parentage, not confirm parentage, which particularly impacted LGBTQ families. With the passage of this bill, there is now a streamlined confirmatory adoption process for Rhode Islanders who are already parents of their children! This enables more children to have the security and protections of parentage as early as possible in their lives.

Thank you to all who worked so hard on this bill, especially lead sponsors Senator Dawn Euer and Representative Rebecca Kislak.

Testimony in support of H.6617 "An Act Promoting Equity in Coverage for Fertility Health Care" Connecticut Human Services Hearing, Feb. 28, 2023

Members of the Massachusetts Parentage Coalition

Testimony in support of H.1988/S.1201 "An Act Relative to Pregnancy Loss Leave" Massachusetts Joint Committee on Financial Services Hearing, Oct. 24, 2023

graphic saying: At RNE, advocacy is always a team sport. We are grateful to all of our advocacy partners, including..."

group photo of RNE Board, Staff, and Walk Committee members under the inflatable arch

RNE Board, Staff, and 2023 Walk Committee

Thank you to all of the walkers, donors, volunteers, sponsors, and event staff that helped make the 2023 Walk our most successful ever!

Whether you walked with us in Ashland, MA or elsewhere around the world, thank you for supporting our mission and celebrating this amazing community.

graphic depicting fundraising thermometer with the text $83,918.21, 167% of the original $50,000 goal

Graphic saying: Special thanks to this year's top fundraisers - Lauren Delaney, Lauren Wilson, Molly Donovan, Jill Kniebel, and Alexis Goulette

photo of the top fundraiser's family celebrating at this year's Walk

The Delaney Family

Photo from the 2023 Walk with the quote "It is always just so powerful to be surrounded by so many people who have so much in common with our journey. The community RNE creates is just so incredible!"

2023 Walk Co-Chairs, Colleen Lubin and Brooke Hamilton

Special guests Elizabeth Carr and Judy Carr

Save the Date:
Footsteps for Family Building 2024
will be on Sunday, Oct. 6th!

RNE was a light in a really dark place.
RNE Community Member

To our Supporters and Donors

Resolve New England is truly grateful for each and every donation we receive. The generosity of our community makes our mission possible. RNE is pleased to specifically acknowledge many of our donors from 2023 for the invaluable support you have provided.

*We have made every effort for this list to be accurate and comprehensive. However, if you notice any accidental error or oversight, please notify RNE at admin@resolvenewengland.org. Thank you!