The Children's Center: Uniting Families Through Carousel Digital Signage

From stronger event attendance to foster care inquiries, The Children's Center is reaching its community where it matters most.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN, UNITED STATES, May 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- "Carousel has helped us better communicate our events, connect with families, and inspire more parents to become foster parents, making a meaningful impact across Detroit." —Rachel Eaton

The Children's Center is a nonprofit organization based in Detroit that provides behavioral health and child welfare services, as well as family support programs, to some of the community's most vulnerable residents. Among many other forms of communication, The Children's Center leans on Carousel Digital Signage to deploy important information directly to the community it serves. One such message is a foster care notice. When your mission statement is "To help children and families shape their own futures", and you see it happening before your very eyes, that's when you know you've done something very right.

Upon joining the organization in early 2025 as the Manager of Marketing and Communications, Rachel Eaton introduced a strategic vision for digital signage. Her previous role at a major university had given her extensive experience with large-scale digital displays, which she saw as a valuable asset for an organization whose mission emphasizes community safety and the well-being of those in its care. Rachel recalls a teen who said that you have to be an adult in the system, but at The Children's Center, they felt like a kid again.

The digital signage system aims to accomplish two goals simultaneously: deliver important information about programs, events, and foster parent opportunities, while engaging children with familiar, comforting content. In a setting where many young visitors have experienced trauma, even small details matter, and a screen in the lobby is no exception. For The Children's Center, every point of contact is an opportunity to reinforce that it is a safe space, starting from the moment a child enters.

We spoke with Rachel about implementing Carousel at The Children's Center and what it takes to communicate effectively when your audience relies on you.

Q: When did you join The Children’s Center?

A: I joined The Children’s Center in February 2025 and have now been with the organization for just over a year.

Q: How did you first hear of Carousel?

A: Prior to joining The Children’s Center, I served as Assistant Director for Marketing and Fan Engagement within the Athletic Department at a prominent university. In that role, I worked closely with our in-house creative team, who partnered directly with Carousel.

While I wasn’t directly managing the Carousel system, I regularly collaborated with the creative team that implemented digital signage across campus. As I developed marketing campaigns for athletic teams, I understood how signage functioned as a strategic marketing channel to promote ticket sales, events, and fan engagement. That perspective allowed me to think about signage as part of a broader communications strategy.

Q: Before you joined The Children’s Center, there was no dedicated marketing position, and much of the communication relied on printed flyers. However, the organization has had an active Instagram presence for several years. Has social media been less effective than on-premise messaging?

A: That’s correct. For a few years prior to my role, there wasn’t a full-time marketing position. Social media efforts were managed by members of the Philanthropy team and interns, often alongside many other responsibilities. While there was a presence, limited capacity made it difficult to maintain consistent, strategic content.

Additionally, many of our programs and events are designed specifically for the children and families we serve and are not always public-facing. Because of this, on-site communication is critical. Tools like flyers, and now digital signage, ensure we are reaching our audience directly.

The same applies to email communications. Not all of our families have consistent access to internet or devices, so relying solely on digital channels like email or social media would leave gaps. On-premise messaging allows us to communicate in a more immediate, accessible, and equitable way.

Q: How far into your role did you propose a digital signage system, and how did you know it would be beneficial?

A: There had already been interest internally in utilizing our lobby TVs for digital signage, but there wasn’t a clear plan for implementation. With a small IT team and limited bandwidth, it hadn’t yet been prioritized.

About five months into my role, after I began creating more consistent, on-brand marketing materials, the idea was brought back to the table. From my previous experience, I knew that simply running a slideshow wouldn’t be effective. We needed a system that allowed for scheduling, organization, and flexibility.

It was essential that any solution be intuitive and efficient. I needed a platform that would allow me to upload content, schedule it, and trust that it would run seamlessly without requiring constant management. That’s when I knew a system like Carousel would be the right fit.

Q: Why was it important to keep cartoons playing in the lobby alongside your messaging?

A: At The Children’s Center, creating a welcoming and comforting environment is essential. Many of the children we serve have experienced trauma, so it’s important that our space feels safe, calm, and less clinical.

Keeping cartoons playing in the lobby helps maintain that environment for children and families. At the same time, we needed to communicate important information. Being able to display both simultaneously ensured that we didn’t have to choose between engagement and communication. It allowed us to prioritize the child experience while still effectively sharing key messages.

Q: What successes have you seen in your overall communications strategy since becoming The Children’s Center’s marketing lead?

A: One of the biggest successes has been establishing consistent, organization-wide branding. That was a key priority from the start, and we’ve made strong progress in implementing a cohesive brand across all channels.

We’re also seeing increased brand awareness and engagement within the community. This is reflected in record attendance at several of our events, including our Health and Wellness Fair, Trunk or Treat, and Back-to-School Backpack Bazaar. These outcomes demonstrate the impact of more strategic, consistent communication.

Q: During your discovery phase, did you explore other digital signage options? If so, how did they compare to Carousel?

A: Yes, I explored several options. While some alternatives were more cost-effective, they lacked the functionality we needed, particularly the ability to run both video content and messaging simultaneously.

The ability to easily schedule and automate content was a major deciding factor. Being able to upload materials, set a timeframe, and trust that everything will run as planned is incredibly valuable, especially as a one-person marketing team.

Equally important was the level of support. From the beginning, I had access to guidance, the ability to ask questions, and even test the platform. That kind of partnership makes a significant difference, particularly in a nonprofit environment where time and resources are limited.

— END OF INTERVIEW —

What stands out about The Children's Center's digital signage deployment is its clear purpose. A split screen that plays cartoons for kids while displaying key information for families is a deliberate choice, reflecting a communication approach grounded in the needs of the people in that space. It's just one part of a broader strategy that has led to record attendance at community events, stronger brand consistency, and a lobby that feels less clinical. This strategy belongs to the organization and the people driving it forward every day. Carousel is proud to be a part of it.

See how other organizations are winning with Carousel.

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Carousel Digital Signage
marketing@carouselsignage.com
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