At Roots Family Collaborative, we are dedicated to creating strong and compassionate networks for new families in the Gallatin Valley. We encourage parents to connect, support and gain confidence from one another in our warm and welcoming space.  We believe no one was meant to parent alone.
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During every step of the way, our unique organization is here to help you navigate your journey from pregnancy to parenthood. We know that when parents have access to support, connection, and education during this most transformative time, they will feel confident to create a strong foundation for life. 

The Roots Story

It all started on a backyard playdate a few years ago when two moms decided that without each other they might not be the moms they knew they could be.  Dreams of lasting friendships, beautiful spaces, regular support groups, laughter, professional workshops and more all were swirling in this big vision. When they started digging a little deeper, all signs kept pointing them back to the three main branches that now define Roots Family Collaborative.  
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Connection. Support. Education. 

​We know that connection, support, and education are vital for growing strong and compassionate caregivers who will nourish deep roots for their families and communities.  With that, Roots Family Collaborative was born.  As every day passes, we are learning more and more how to best support new families in Bozeman as we know there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to parenting under the big sky.  We look forward to meeting you on your journey.  Come, nourish your roots.  You deserve it! ​


The Board of Directors 

Left to right back row: Kerry Williams, Sarah Webb, Cassie Belzer, Kimberly Todd, Molly Melzer
seated: Lexi Newhall, Suzanne Bendick 
Cassie Belzer is a Doctoral prepared Certified Nurse Midwife at Bozeman Health Women's Specialists and a faculty member at Frontier Nursing University. She is married with two teenagers that go to Bozeman High School.  When she is not delivering babies, you can find her spending time at the hockey rink watching her son or spending time with her family and friends.  She has been in practice for six years as a midwife, but her entire nursing career has been dedicated to the health of women and their families.  Her doctoral focus was on perinatal anxiety and depression, focusing on improving screening, treatment and followup.  She hopes through her work with Roots Family Collaborative she can continue making strides toward keeping the perinatal mood disorders in the spotlight and women safe from the consequences.
Suzanne Bendick loves everything about babies and birth but is especially dedicated to helping families navigate the postpartum period and giving them the support they deserve during this amazing transition. After trying to manage her own overwhelming entry into new parenthood, Suzanne started a business called Fresh Air as a practical way to help new mothers. Suzanne knows that support during the postpartum period is critical for the overall health of a new family, so with her formal training as a Postpartum Doula and Certified Lactation Counselor, she has been able to quietly nurture, encourage and assist as families settle into their new normal after birth. Suzanne is also a Volunteer Coordinator with Postpartum Support International, where she welcomes parents at any stage to reach out for help. Besides her love of all things postpartum, Suzanne holds a B.A. in Anthropology, is a Certified Montessori Teacher and has two children of her own.  If she’s not listening to a new mother’s story, you can find her breathing in some fresh air in the mountains around town.
Lexi Frank Newhall, LMFT, LCPC has been working as a therapist in private practice for the last ten years. She specializes in empowering women to manage change, heal from perinatal (pre and postpartum) mental health disorders and overcome developmental trauma.  Her style of counseling is an integration mindfulness, body awareness, guided imagery, empathic listening and psychodynamics.  Joining the board of Roots Family Collaborative inspires Lexi and connects her to the broader network of resources available in the Gallatin Valley.  She hopes to share the insights she gains in her therapy work about the evolving needs of women with Roots as a means to help us better support families and create a community of strong, compassionate caregivers.  Lexi loves living in the mountains with her husband, two energetic little boys and sweet chocolate lab, Charlie.  
Molly Melzer lived in Bozeman for 8 years before moving to Boston where her husband was attending graduate school. During her time there she gave birth to two sons in 2011 and 2013, respectively, and was lucky enough to experience early motherhood in a community that was extremely supportive, open-minded and abundant with resources for new parents and families. Upon moving back to Bozeman in 2014 with a 2-year-old and a six-month-old she wondered, "where do all the moms go?" Wanting to connect with other mothers and find support groups drove her to seek out the resources she needed, but the experience left her feeling that the community could be much more cohesive and the system easier to navigate. She is excited to be creating a comprehensive early parenting organization and provide for new mothers and families those things that helped smooth her own transition into parenthood. Look for her at Bridger Bowl or Bohart Ranch whenever there’s snow on the ground.
Sarah Webb is the mother of 2 boys and her mission to raise awareness about perinatal care came about from personal and professional experiences. She has directly experienced the power of knowledge, support, and resources to keep up her strength as a new mother. She has worked for 12 years in various settings providing mental health support to children and families and has witnessed firsthand the various gaps that families experience. Sarah still believes in the power of local communities and knows that we are stronger when we ensure that the youngest members thrive. Currently, she is working with a team on a grant that bridges those gaps and ensures that every door a family walks through is supportive to the specific needs of families and children. In the summer, she’s elbow deep in garden dirt or casting lines across eddies. In the winter, she’s free heeling in the back country.
Kerry Williams focuses her work around the well-being of children and the strength of their families through the power of operations. Kerry graduated with a master’s degree in Family Sciences from MSU-Bozeman in 2003, and has since spent her career supporting families during the critical first few years of a child’s life by improving the systems that serve them. She has been an Early Childhood Mental Health Grant Manager, a Children’s Librarian, and an Early Learning Specialist. In 2015, Kerry presented a TEDx Talk entitled “Parenting: How I’m Not Getting It Right and Why You Shouldn’t Either” which addressed her own experience raising her two boys and grappling with the change of identity that comes with becoming a mother. She and her husband have lived in Bozeman for over 20 years. Kerry’s favorite activities outside of crossing every “t” and dotting every “i” are reading and dancing.