Save the Date for the CT After School Network 2021 Conference!
We've Got a Save the Date! CT After School Network 2021 Conference November 5th & 6th. Early Bird Registration is now open! You can save $20 per person by registering early. Register by visiting our website. More info coming!
The Center for Family Voice at Groundwork Ohio
Here is a wonderful example of how another state is working toward raising parent and family voice. We hope you read through their efforts and gain insights and ideas as it can inform the work we are doing here in
School Reopening: Lessons Learned
In the recently published article found in the Center for American Progress, Remote Learning and School Reopenings: What Worked and What Didn’t, Megan Ferren writes, "When schools closed their doors in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was
Connecticut Leading the Way with Baby Bonds
Could providing $11,000 to every child born into poverty close the state’s wealth gap, one of the worst in the nation? Legislation headed for the governor’s desk will provide every child born into poverty a fighting chance to attend college, buy
Free Summer Fun at Connecticut Museums
Governor Ned Lamont today announced the launch of Connecticut Summer at the Museum – a new state program created in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that allows Connecticut children to receive free admission at more than 90 museums across Connecticut during
Thoughts on Emotional Well-Being During the Summer Months
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic we all have been checking ourselves to make sure that we are tending to our emotional well-being; practicing self-care and cutting ourselves a break with our usual expectations and goals. It makes sense
The OEC’s Parent Cabinet Information Session & Keeping it Real
If you missed the OEC's Parent Cabinet Information Session on June 11, 2021 you can find the recording here. In the recording you will hear from parents and community leaders who have been working on this project since the beginning. You
June is Pride Month!
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in
The OEC Parent Cabinet is Looking for Parents & Caregivers to Join!
The Office of Early Childhood (OEC) is looking for parents and caregivers to become a part of their new OEC Parent Cabinet! The OEC is a state agency that oversees programs and services that help young children and families thrive.
Funding Announcement from the CT Early Childhood Funder Collaborative
Connecticut Early Childhood Funder Collaborative A project of: CT Council for Philanthropy Announces an opportunity for funding through the Strengthening Local Early Childhood Collaboration Organizational capacity & project support to strengthen local birth to age 5 systems The CT Early Childhood Funder Collaborative (CT ECFC), a
Find Recording Here from Childhood Conversations Together We Will Virtual Conference 2021
On April 16 & 17, 2021 the Connecticut Children's Collective was pleased to be an integral part of this years CCTWW Conference. On Saturday the panelist and workshop presenters were completely comprised of our local partners and parents! It demonstrated
Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Announces Enfield KITE as a Bright Spot Community During COVID-19 Pandemic
The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading recently announced that it’s naming Enfield KITE as a 2021 Bright Spot community for its responses to the COVID crisis last year! Congratulations!! The CGLR is highlighting communities that developed exemplary or innovative responses to
Teacher Appreciation Week!
This week May 3-7, is Teacher Appreciation Week culminating on Friday when Childcare Provider Appreciation Day is celebrated. We must give a HUGE shout-out to all of the devoted men and women around the country and great state of Connecticut
Sparkler App Information Session
The Connecticut Children's Collective welcomed Abby Alter and Julia Levy from the Sparkler App, along with Kareena Duplessis and Amanda Heath from 211 Child Development to discuss what using the Sparkler App as a Collective would look like. If you missed,
$11 Million State Expansion to Summer Enrichment Programs
We are so grateful to Governor Lamont and his team for awarding $11 million to fund expansion of summer enrichment programs across the state as was announced on April 21, 2021. We are also proud that our own Michelle Doucette
Celebrating Earth Day
"Our planet is an amazing place, but it needs our help to thrive! That’s why each year on April 22, more than a billion people celebrate Earth Day to protect the planet from things like pollution and deforestation. By taking
Celebrating the Week of the Young Child’s 50th Anniversary with a Video
The Connecticut Children's Collective is comprised of local partners from across the state who are proud to be serving the children and families in their communities to ensure they have the services and resources they need to grow and thrive.
Childhood Conversations Together We Will Conference
The Childhood Conversations & Together We Will Annual Conference is fast approaching! The virtual conference will be Friday April 16, 2021 from 9-2:30 and Saturday April 17, 2021 from 9-2:30. Friday Moderator: Commissioner Beth Bye, CT Office of Early Childhood Friday Panelists: Gil Noam, Ed.D,
Childcare & Youth Camp Providers: Workshop & Updates Provided by CT OEC
The Office of Early Childhood will host a webinar Thursday, April 8, 2021 at 2 pm. with officials from the Department of Public Health to discuss the need to continue following COVID-19 health and safety guidelines in child care settings.
A Huge Collective Shout Out!!!
A huge shout out and thank you to several of our local partners who helped the CT Office of Early Childhood distribute nearly 87,000 masks to early childhood professionals from around the state! It was a united effort that was
Welcome to our Newest Collective Member!
AMH Youth & Family Services, led by Executive Director Tressa Giordano, joined the Collective in February 2021 and jumped in with both feet! We were pleased when they agreed to help, along with several other Collective communities, to distribute 87,000
Developing Equity-Focused, Data Driven Policies
“Knowing your race, I should not be able to predict how long you will live. From a data perspective we will have achieved racial equity when there are no statistically significant differences by race. As we know, we’re far from
We Are Our Brothers’ Keepers
President Obama launched My Brother’s Keeper in February 2014 to address persistent opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color and to ensure all youth can reach their full potential. In 2015 the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (MBK Alliance)
Child Care in 25 States: What We Know and Don’t Know
Back in October of 2020 the Bipartisan Policy Center published a report, which is bound to have a profound impact on the early childhood field and child care: Child Care in 25 States: What We Know and Don't Know: Quantifying the
Essential Equity: Women, COVID-19, and Rebuilding Connecticut
Covid-19 has revealed the inequities and injustices that perpetuate the systems in Connecticut. The CT Data Collaborative has compiled a very informative report that explores the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on women and girls (particularly, women and girls of color),
Exploring Systems Change Frameworks
Many thanks to Michelle Doucette Cunningham for leading participants in a very insightful and useful workshop that explored different system change frameworks and how they relate to the work being done by the Connecticut Children's Collective and other state institutions
Social-Emotional Strategies & Implementation Guidance
The COVID-19 pandemic has swiftly and substantially affected the social and emotional health of children, especially those experiencing multiple hardships. As the pandemic has spread across the United States, many children are experiencing widespread disruptions in daily life. Young children
COVID-19 Vaccinations in Connecticut
Connecticut has prepared for the authorization and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and is currently in Phase 1a. Their goal is for all residents of Connecticut to have access to the vaccination, although this will likely not occur until late Spring or early Summer 2021. Connecticut is currently working with a broad
COVID Straight Talk
What is COVID Straight Talk COVID Straight Talk is a public health campaign raising awareness that COVID-19 is airborne and encouraging people to adopt harm reduction measures to keep themselves and their communities safe. The website is a set of bilingual
Storytime with Mrs. Claus
Winter is a time for children to enjoy their favorite holiday traditions – playing in the snow, celebrating around the table, sharing stories with loved ones. This holiday season join the American Red Cross as we travel to a winter