The Connecticut Children’s Collective was so pleased to collaborate with the Office of Early Childhood (OEC), and Joyce Bosco who facilitated three separate convenings for the six regions in Connecticut who are actively involved in the first of its kind, state Parent Cabinet.

The OEC chose two parent cabinet members to represent each region, and then chose three more parents to act as parent cabinet members to make a total of fifteen. The Connecticut Children’s Collective has contributed to the parent cabinet over 45 local parent ambassadors, who work closely with their local early childhood collaboratives (LECC) to determine what needs there are in the community, and then together with the LECC director create activities and programs that will fill the needs to better help the children and families they serve.

Together, the goal is to create a system in which parent voice is not only listened to, but included in the problem solving by being integral to the process of creating solutions. During each of the convenings, regions worked together to determine how they can better work together through streamlined communication and the sharing of ideas and resources with other regions to form a united parent cabinet that will work toward true systems change. The OEC Parent Cabinet will change the game in how community and state organizations work with parents!

Check out this video of the convenings that took place in Hartford, West Haven, and Waterbury! Thank you to our local partners at Waterbury Bridge to Success and the West Haven Child Development Center for hosting two of the events!