In Connecticut’s 169 towns and cities, there are 467,000 children ages birth to eight years old. These very young people represent nearly 14 percent of the state’s population. More important than numbers, it is the welfare of these children that most concerns families and public officials. Building cost effective ways to address early childhood development is among the most vital role municipal government plays in the lives of its citizens.

Success in early childhood affects “bottom line” costs in a town; and affects the quality of life of the community. This means acting at the local level. To help, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) and the Commission on Children (COC) has teamed with the National League of Cities (NLC) to launch this Connecticut initiative. Goals are simple:

• Help municipal leaders – mayors, selectpersons, council members, aldermen, town managers – become more knowledgeable about what is meant by early childhood success, and what are meaningful policies for kids birth to 8 years.
• Provide real time, practical information to all municipal leaders about what a community can do (often at low cost) to assure that policies promote a positive environment for young children.
• Assist, during the first year, about 20 “Focus Communities” in Connecticut with additional support to identify early childhood policies and services important to them, and work with these leaders to implement strategies to make young children and their families healthier, safer, and better positioned to grow and learn.

How Can This Benefit My Community?

We know 2003 and 2004 will be hard on municipalities. By becoming involved in the Municipal Early Childhood Success Initiative mayors, selectpersons, managers can learn what their government can do to insure young children get the best start. This can include: cataloging and assessing what is now happening in your town; sharing ideas that are successful in literacy, childcare, health, safety, the arts.

Are you concerned about childcare in your community? School Readiness? After school services? Health screening? The Initiative can help a leader assess what is there, what a new or expanded focus might be, and connect your administration with experts to offer fresh ideas, and help in implementation.

What Will The Initiative Offer?

Information... link your administrators with our websites at CCM and The Commission, where we will offer basic, non-jargon, easy to use, reliable resources on early childhood issues from a municipal perspective. Provide a clearinghouse, a place for Connecticut mayors and municipal leaders exchange information. Over time, you will see Connecticut examples of local early childhood programs, strategies.

Best Practices... are services now available in your town based on proven research? Have particular approaches have been proved elsewhere? Are they cost effective? With support from NLC, we will connect your town officials with folks who are working in the same area. Why reinvent a wheel?

Assessment... with help from NLC, we can offer tools with which administrators can assess current status of your community’s efforts on behalf of children birth to 8 years. This will help demonstrate links, connections, and gaps in services and policies affecting early childhood success.

Training, Seminars... In 2004 the Initiative will feature a number of free opportunities at a central location for leaders to learn in detail about a particular approach, and how to effectively launch and maintain initiatives for young children.

Pick the Focus, We Will Help You Advance It... For the 20 “Focus Communities”, a mayor, first selectperson, manager can select and area of concentration -- a single activity or policy initiative. With NLC help, we will bring outside resources and technical support, and advice to help move the policy or initiative ahead.

Learn Together... we have created a Municipal Task Force on Early Childhood Success to examine public policy affecting young children. The Task Force will be a place for mayors, first selectmen, managers to exchange ideas, find support.

How Does My Town Join?

Join the Municipal Task Force. Three meetings a year, interesting subjects, speakers, and a chance to frame public response with your municipal peers around important issues in early childhood development.

Give Us Feedback. Tell us what you want, what you need, what direction you want your community to advance to improve the lives of young children and their families. We will work with NLC to respond. Call Us.