Danbury’s Promise for
Children Partnership
Strategic Plan
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership
Strategic Plan
Table of Contents
Welcome .......................................................................................................................................1
Rationale.......................................................................................................................................2
The Promise for Children and Families ............................................................................4
The Promise for Communities .............................................................................................5
The Promise for Schools .........................................................................................................7
Framework for Action: An Overview ................................................................................8
Strategic Areas
Health Awareness and Actions ......................................................................................... 10
Parenting that Supports Healthy Development and Learning ............................. 19
Readiness for School/Early School Success ................................................................. 31
Conclusion................................................................................................................................. 44
Appendices
Appendix A: Promise for Children Membership ...................................................... 45
Appendix B: Organizational Structure ....................................................................... 47
Appendix C: Promise for Children By-Laws .............................................................. 54
Welcome!
A community consists of the people who live there and the various assets that support them: education,
employment, recreation, health, municipal services, family/individual supports, and religion. The future of
a community lies in its children. When children’s early experiences are loving, supportive, and
stimulating, they enter school ready to take advantage of educational opportunities and are more likely to
succeed in school and in life.
Danbury has embarked on a multi-year journey to explore what can be done to improve the community’s
future through a focus on children’s early years. This strategic planning process, which focuses on Danbury
children aged birth through eight, is entitled Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership. Our result
statement is:
All Danbury children aged birth through eight
are healthy and ready for school and lifelong learning.
The planning process, which included participation from over 50 individuals, embraced these guiding
principles:
• Families and communities raise children.
• All families need information about early childhood development.
• Some families need information and support to ensure that their children reach appropriate
developmental milestones.
• Good health and the foundations for learning begin before birth.
• All children should have the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and behaviors that
enable them to be successful in the early years of schooling. Children of lower socio-economic
status may have fewer opportunities, and therefore more challenges in developing those skills
and behaviors
• Parents should be partners with the school system and with community providers in the
development of their children’s education, health, and social emotional wellness.
• Our community respects individual differences and recognizes the importance of cultural
responsiveness and appreciation for those with special needs.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 1
Why Are We Doing Strategic Planning For Danbury’s Youngest Children?
It is important to recognize why Danbury embarked on this journey of early childhood strategic planning.
Brain research and economic policy analysis tell us:


significant and lasting foundations are created in children during their earliest years
investments early in a child’s life are more effective than waiting and attempting to compensate for
a poor early start.
Quality Early Learning REDUCES:
 Crime Rates
 Teenage Pregnancy
 Welfare Dependency
 Job Training Costs
 Special Education Costs
 Grade Repetition
Quality Early Learning INCREASES:
 Success in School
 Graduation Rates
 Workforce Readiness
 Job Productivity
 Community Engagement
Source: United Way of America –
Born Learning Campaign
“In Connecticut, only 50% of infants or
toddlers with disabilities or developmental
delays who receive appropriate early
intervention services need special education
at kindergarten. Since the per-pupil cost of
special education is twice the cost of regular
education, the savings can total as much as
$255,000,000 per year statewide.”
(Department of Developmental Services).
Source: Connecticut Department of Social
Services report titled First Words, First Steps:
The Importance of the Early Years
“The basic principles of neuroscience tell us
that providing the right conditions for
healthy development in early childhood is
likely to be more effective than treating
problems at a later age.”
“Children can thrive at home with a parent,
relative or caregiver. Children can also
thrive in family childcare, center-based care,
and school readiness settings. The
important thing is that young children need
to be in safe, nurturing, stimulating settings
where they can thrive and learn.”
Source: Center on the Developing Child at
Harvard University
Source: PlayBook for Prevention: Early Care
and Education – Connecticut Commission on
Children
While the Danbury community has numerous assets and many children are doing well, consider the
following:


41.9% of Danbury children were at goal for reading on the 3rd grade Connecticut Mastery Test
(CMT) in 2012-2013
48.5% of Danbury children were at goal for mathematics on the 3rd grade CMT in 2012-2013
These numbers are below the state averages. It is an illustration of what is commonly called the
“achievement gap.” Children from communities with lower socio-economic status do not perform as well as
students from more wealthy communities. This trend is seen not only in Connecticut but around the
country as well. It emphasizes the importance of looking at the earliest years of a child’s life and providing
the necessary assets to make success a reality.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 2
CMT scores are only one piece of information to analyze. Consider these other statistics for Danbury:





11.2% of mothers received non-adequate prenatal care (2010 Connecticut Dept. of Public Health
Registration Report)
149 child abuse/neglect reports were substantiated for Danbury children (2013)
Approximately 26% of children aged four did not attend preschool (2012)
50.2% of Danbury full-day kindergarteners were reading at or above grade level on the Spring 2013
DRA; 45.1% of half-day kindergarteners were at or above grade level
55% of Danbury first graders were eligible for free or reduced priced meals (2012)
Research shows us that poverty, child abuse, inadequate health care, and a lack of early learning
opportunities negatively impact children’s growth, development, and school success. Meanwhile, quality
early childhood experiences, including preschool, are known to have a positive impact on young children’s
development.
If the future of a community lies in its children, Danbury must do more to meet the needs of its
youngest children. The Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership outlines a plan (or framework) for
the whole community. Families, community providers, and schools are all in this together.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 3
The Promise for Children and Families:
All children in Danbury have the physical, social, emotional, language, and cognitive skills to start
kindergarten. All families are informed about their child’s development, the importance of early
learning, and are supported as their child’s first and primary teacher.
While there are many assets in Danbury that support children’s growth and development, no asset is
more important than the family. From birth and even earlier, parents help to build a nurturing, supportive
environment where young children can thrive. Parents lay the groundwork for moral development and
learning values. They engage in everyday experiences like talking, reading, listening, and sharing and thus
build a foundation for other learning experiences. They understand what to expect at different ages for
their children and know where to find resources when those developmental milestones aren’t being
reached. They understand how to guide their children’s behavior and recognize the importance of meeting
their own adult needs in order to parent effectively.
While many Danbury parents are creating a positive foundation for their young children, some parents
need more support from the community.
Consider the following:

79.5% of all families with children under age six have all parents working. (US Census 2011
American Community Survey 1-year Estimate)

17% of Danbury’s families with children under age 5 are living in poverty. (US Census, 2008-2012
American Community Survey 5-Year Estimate)

24.96% of all births are to mothers who have not completed high school (Dept. of Public Health,
2008)
•
42.1% of Danbury residents speak a language other than English at home. (US Census, 2008-2012
American Community Survey 5-Year Estimate)
•
32% of the population is foreign born. 30.7% of the foreign-born population has less than a high
school education (US Census, 2008-2012 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimate)
A significant number of parents may need additional supports to create nurturing, supportive home
environments that encourage children’s growth and development. Actions and efforts need to be focused
on prevention. Prevention is proven to be more effective, both in the positive outcomes for children and in
the financial resources that are required.
The Danbury community is diverse: ethnically, racially, and socio-economically. Diversity is an asset
from which we can all benefit. Danbury Public Schools calls it “the mosaic that makes us special.” In our
work, we must be cognizant of the need for cultural and linguistic competency in the delivery of services so
that all families have what is needed to effectively raise their children.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 4
The Promise for Communities:
All children have access to high quality programs that positively influence their health, development,
and school readiness.
While parents and families are the primary circle of influence in the lives of young children, they are
most effective when community resources are in place to support their efforts. Needed community
resources include early childhood programs (such as preschool and child care), health providers (including
oral health providers), and behavioral health services. When those supports exist in adequate numbers and
are high quality, children and families benefit. For example, parents are able to work and maintain their
economic security when they can find quality childcare that is affordable and accessible. In addition,
children’s preparedness for kindergarten is increased when their early care setting (whether a preschool,
child care center, family childcare home, or a relative babysitter) is of high quality and incorporates
learning in a developmentally appropriate manner. Children are healthier and avoid poor health habits
when they see a consistent doctor on a regular basis for well-child care. And finally, children are better able
to cope with stress and be resilient when there are the appropriate behavioral health services to assist
them and their parents.
Families who are living in poverty and who face economic challenges may not be able to access
childcare and health supports in optimal ways. The “living wage” for 1 adult and 1 child in Danbury is
approximately $26.36 per hour (Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Living Wage Calculator).
This reflects the actual cost of living in our community, which is significantly higher than a minimum wage
job. A full 17% of children under 5 in Danbury are now living in poverty (U.S. Census), and 45% of students
in the 2010-2011 school year were eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunch. The high cost of living and
rise in poverty provide context for the following:





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The average cost of childcare in Connecticut for an infant/toddler in a center is $253 per week and
$188 per week in a licensed family child care home. (2-1-1 Child Care, 2013)
The maximum childcare subsidy for full-time infant/toddler care in a center in the Danbury area is
$199.00 per week through the Care4Kids program if a family qualifies. Currently, 557 children are
receiving Care4Kids subsidies in Danbury (2012).
11.2% of mothers in Danbury received non-adequate prenatal care (2010 Connecticut Dept. of
Public Health)
71 births were under 2500 grams (2010 Connecticut Dept. of Public Health)
8,435 children are enrolled in HUSKY A (Medicaid health insurance).
There are very few supports for low-income and non-English-speaking women who are
experiencing maternal depression. (One behavioral health provider accepts Medicaid and offers a
support group. There are no other supports in the community.)
Many families need help to afford childcare, and many childcare providers need support to increase
their quality. A significant number of our children start their lives without the healthy foundation that is
needed for optimal success.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 5
During the past year some positive steps have been made to benefit Danbury’s young children.
In the area of health:
 Danbury’s Coalition for Healthy Kids is now serving 200 children in Ellsworth, Hayestown, and Park
Avenue Elementary Schools through its Students Can Run and Move (SCRAM) after-school antiobesity program.
 The Regional YMCA and Danbury Hospital are piloting Fit Kids, a 12-week program for children
ages 9 to 12 who are obese.
 The Coalition for Healthy Kids sponsored grocery shopping tours with parents as part of National
Nutrition Month in March of 2014.
In the area of behavioral health:
 Child First, an evidenced-based home visiting intervention program now has two teams in Danbury.
The program, which is designed to serve children with emotional, developmental, and learning
problems serves up to 30 families per year.
 Families Network of Western CT is now able to serve up to 30 more at-risk families through the
Parents As Teachers (PAT) Home Visiting Model. Funding for this program was acquired through a
private foundation through the Promise for Children Partnership.
 The Partnership is also working with the Danbury Public Schools to implement a new training
program that helps preschool providers address the needs of children with severe behavioral
challenges. Called Solid Ground, the program was developed in partnership with Wheelock College’s
Center on the Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning. Twenty-five preschool teachers are
being trained in the program.
 Members of the Promise for Children Health Team are working to promote awareness and garner
resources to combat maternal depression. Grand rounds were conducted in January 2014, and the
Partnership is helping to promote awareness among pediatricians of their ability to bill for
maternal depression screenings.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 6
The Promise for Schools:
Schools are active partners in promoting successful transitions from birth to five into the
kindergarten and the early grades. Schools also provide a family friendly environment, where
parental involvement in education is welcomed.
The first day of kindergarten is a rite of passage in our culture. Children begin their journey learning
how to read. Later it becomes a journey of reading to learn. When parents are welcomed and embraced as
partners in the learning process, children are more apt to succeed. When children are given the individual
support they need in the early years, including English language learners, they are more likely to become
successful readers, stay engaged in the learning process, and graduate from high school. When teachers are
knowledgeable about a child’s previous developmental level and previous educational experience and
partner with the parents to understand the child and family better, children’s experiences are more
integrated and coherent.
While many Danbury children are performing well and reaching their full potential, consider the
following:
 41.9% of Danbury’s third-grade students scored at goal on the Reading CMT in 2013.
 18.7% of the students in Danbury K-6 schools are in bilingual education and English as a second
language services. (2011)
 32.5% of all students in the district passed all four Physical Fitness tests. (2011)
This indicates that a sizeable number of students are not meeting expectations and are at risk for future
school difficulties. While many families have needs, Danbury’s immigrant population may need additional
supports to ensure school success.
To prepare Danbury children for success in school:
 Working with Education Connection, the Partnership received a grant for $90,600 from a private
foundation to provide training, coaching, and mentoring to preschool teachers in 20 classrooms in
Danbury using the Training Wheels Model created by the CT SDE. Training will also be provided to
family, friend, and neighbor care providers. The purpose is to improve the quality of instruction in
the classroom. The Preschool Assessment Framework (PAF) growth rates of children in these
classrooms will be measured against those of children in classrooms in which teachers have not
received the training.
 The Partnership works with the Children’s Trust Fund to provide quarterly Help Me Grow lunches
in Danbury. At least 20 childcare providers, agency personnel, family resource center staff, and
parents attend each training.
 Danbury received 58 new School Readiness spaces in 2012.
 Danbury Public Schools received a $1.7 million grant to fund the expansion of full-day kindergarten,
expand tutoring, and support other programs that improve student performance. Beginning in the
fall of 2014, full-day kindergarten will be available in to all students.
 Danbury voters approved a $40.2 million bond to expand Shelter Rock, Park Avenue, and Stadley
Rough elementary schools and to turn Mill Ridge Educational Center into a Middle School.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 7
Framework for Action: an Overview
We have taken a look at Danbury’s children and families, the community, and the schools. It is evident:
for the future wellness of the community, we need to do more to realize the potential of our youngest
citizens. Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership proposes a strategic plan that incorporates those
three areas (children and families, community, schools) and makes recommendations for moving forward.
It all begins with our result statement (what we want to see in our community):
All Danbury children aged birth through eight
are healthy and ready for school and lifelong learning.
For this vision to become a reality in our community, the Danbury Promise for Children
Partnership sets forth the following strategic areas and strategies:
Strategic Areas:
Health Awareness and Actions

Ensure that all families have access
to information and resources on
health, behavioral health, and oral
health topics.

Increase local access to affordable
health, behavioral health, and oral
health services for the insured,
underinsured, and uninsured.


Parenting that Supports Healthy
Development and Early Learning
Ensure that the behavioral health
needs of Danbury’s young children
and families are met.

Increase home and personal visiting services
for families with young children so they can
create a home environment that is safe,
nurturing, and promotes healthy
development and learning.

Increase parents’ knowledge of
developmental milestones, early literacy,
socio-emotional development, health, and
oral health.

Increase public knowledge about the
importance of the early years for learning
and development through a public
awareness campaign.
Prevent/reduce childhood obesity.
Readiness for School/Early School Success

Ensure all childcare providers are of high quality.

Increase the supply of affordable childcare/preschool.

Ensure continuity of curriculum between preK and kindergarten.

Ensure that schools are “family friendly.”
This multi-faceted approach engages the entire community around the result statement and
incorporates the guiding principles that were outlined earlier. Each strategic area is examined in more
detail in the following pages. As you read through, you will see that the plan calls for action for the
children and families, the community, and the schools. When all three of those groups are “ready,”
Danbury will be able to realize its result statement.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 8
We have selected the following “headline” indicators to help us measure change/progress over time.
These indicators were selected for a number of reasons:



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They represent a scope of the work that is tied to our result statement (health, parenting supports,
readiness for school, early school success).
They represent the various range of ages that our plan is addressing (birth through age 8).
The data is already being collected and reported and therefore requires less additional resources
than pieces of data that are not currently measured.
Some are indicators used by many other communities and can offer a statewide perspective.
The indicators are understandable to the general public.
% of students who pass all four components of the CT Physical Fitness Assessment.
% of children assessed as “ready” on the Kindergarten Entrance Inventory. (Personal/Social
and Literacy Domains)
% of third grade students at/above goal on the 3rd grade Math and Reading CMTs
(Connecticut Mastery Tests).
While these indicators may have various limitations, and some may be phased out during the coming
year, at this time they are considered to be the most appropriate measures for our purpose. (New
indicators will be selected by our working Teams and Steering Committee as new state and national
standards are developed.) For now, these indicators help to paint a picture of where Danbury currently is
and can be examined at regular intervals in the future to show comparisons and trends.
On the following pages, each strategic area is examined in detail:



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Headline indicators are reported.
Potential barriers to positive outcomes are analyzed.
Strategies to turn the curve are listed.
Additional data needs are presented.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 9
Health Awareness and Actions
All Danbury children aged birth through eight are healthy and ready for school and lifelong
learning.
Health is a significant component of our strategic plan. Children’s optimal development and learning
are dependent on a solid foundation of good physical health, behavioral health, and oral health.
The Danbury community is fortunate to have three health facilities that serve the needs of low-income
families. The CFIC Community Health Center and The Community Health Center, Inc. of Danbury are both
federally qualified health clinics that provide well child visits and immunizations, as well as sick and urgent
care, for children on HUSKY and uninsured children (on a sliding scale basis). The Samaritan Health Center
located on Rose Street in Danbury is aligned with Jericho Partnership, a faith-based initiative, and offers
free, comprehensive pediatric services for children from birth to 18. While these programs serve many of
the low-income and immigrant children in the community, more outreach and community awareness is
needed about their services. There is also still a great need for behavioral health and oral health providers,
especially multi-lingual providers.
While many factors influence health in the broad way that we are defining it, the Promise for Children
Partnership has selected the following two “headline indicators” to help us measure progress in this area:
 % of students passing all four components of the CT Physical Fitness Assessment.
 % of children performing at Level 3 in the Personal/Social Skills section of the Kindergarten
Entrance Inventory.
These indicators were selected because this data is already being collected and reported and they
incorporate both physical and behavioral health information.
Percent of Danbury Fourth Graders Passing All Four
Components of the Physical Fitness Test
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Danbury
State
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Danbury
26
25.8
22.3
19
19.7
33.2
32.5
State
26
35.6
36.1
36.1
36.2
50.4
51
*NOTE: The spike in the test results for 2010 reflect the change to the new “Third Generation” Connecticut Physical Fitness Assessment,
which “mirrors options in the President’s Challenge Physical Fitness Program and FitnessGram/Activity Gram.“ (Source: CT Dept. of
Education 2009 Test Administrator’s Manual)
Since 2005, Danbury has fallen well behind the state averages for passing all four components of the
Physical Fitness Test. The fitness test looks at the following:
 Sit-and-Reach
 One-Mile Run/Walk
 Push-Ups
 Curl-Ups
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 10
The current data indicates that fewer than one in three Danbury children would perform at a level
to be considered “physically fit.” This baseline data does not represent what is acceptable for Danbury.
The implication for future health issues is enormous (and this in turn becomes an economic issue when we
think about the costs of chronic illness, health care needs, and time lost from employment).
The Story Behind the Physical Fitness Statistics in Danbury
Why are so few children in Danbury “physically fit?” The following factors may contribute to the poor
performance of our children on the physical fitness test:
Urban Environment/Lack of Safe Places to Play and Exercise. Qualitative information taken from the
2009 Danbury Parent Survey indicated that many parents felt a strong need for more safe outdoor play
spaces for their children. Parents cited a need for more sidewalks and bike paths so that children can safely
walk and ride their bikes throughout the city. The need for public swimming pools was also mentioned.
Children who live in the more urban, downtown environments where it may be less safe to play outside
may be most affected by an inability to get unstructured outdoor exercise. (This may be particularly true of
Hispanic children, 47.6% of whom nationally live in central city households.) Children who cannot safely
play outside in their neighborhoods are of course more likely to spend more time indoors engaged in
sedentary activity and clocking more “screen time” than is healthy.
The Need for More Out-of-School Time Activities and Recreational Activities. The qualitative
information from the Danbury Parent Survey also showed that parents want more activities that they can
do with their children—and particularly more activities for younger children. Parents of school-age
children want more out-of-school time activities and recreational activities, including activities for children
with special needs. Again, Latino/Hispanic children may be more affected by an inability to access
recreational programs. The survey showed that Hispanic children and children with special needs are not
accessing activities and recreational programs at the same rate as their peers. Only 28% of parents of
Hispanic/Latino children said their children are involved in sports activities, as compared to 34% of
parents of all children. Thirty-three percent of Hispanic/Latino parents reported that their children are in
engaged in no recreation activities, as compared to 20% of all children. In focus groups conducted on
children’s behavioral health in Danbury in December 2007, parents of children with mental/behavioral
issues indicated a need for more recreational and family activities—especially at times that accommodate
working parents’ schedules.
Childhood Obesity. The epidemic of childhood obesity in this country is well known and well
documented. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that between 16% and 33% of American
children and adolescents are obese, putting them as increased risk for heart disease, high blood pressure,
diabetes, and breathing problems. Because Danbury has a high Hispanic and minority population, its
children may be at greater risk. More than 30% of children in Danbury schools are Hispanic; 10% are
African American. Both of these groups have a higher prevalence of childhood and adolescent obesity. In
Connecticut, more than 35% of Hispanic and more than 30% of Non-Hispanic Black high school students
are overweight or obese compared to less than 25% of White children. Nationwide, 24% percent of
Mexican American children between the ages of 6 and 11 are overweight, compared to 20% of Black
children and 12% of White children. (Source: National Council of La Raza.)
Poverty is also a well-known contributor to childhood obesity. More than 17% of Danbury’s families
with children under the age of 5 are living below the poverty level. (Source: US Census 2008-2012
American Community Survey 5-Year Estimate) Families living in poverty tend to rely more heavily on
inexpensive, high-fat and high-calorie foods. With so many of our community’s children living in poverty,
poor nutrition is most likely a strong contributor to the obesity of our children. In addition, cultural
differences regarding food choices may be a factor.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 11
Danbury Public Schools BMI Data Summary for 2012-2013
30%
25%
25%
20%
15%
17%
16%
18%
15%
15%
BMI in 85-94 Percentile
10%
BMI in 95-100 Percentile
5%
0%
Kindergarten
6th grade
9th grade
As the chart above illustrates, the percent of students who are overweight or obese in kindergarten and
grades 6 and 9 exceeds 30%. In grade 6, it exceeds 40%.
How to we “turn the curve” so that Danbury’s children are more physically fit and of a healthy
weight?
Information gathered as part of the Parent Resource Initiative through Parent Surveys, Community
Engagement Interviews, and Focus Groups all pointed to a need for more recreational activities for
Danbury’s children. Parents and community leaders all felt that preschoolers through school-age children
needed more opportunities for both unstructured and structured physical activities. Ensuring that play and
sports activities are accessible, affordable, and held at convenient times so that children of working parents
can participate should improve the fitness of all of Danbury’s children. An emphasis on providing
opportunities to Hispanic and minority children, as well as children with special needs, may have perhaps a
more profound impact, as these are the children who seem to have the most barriers to accessing
recreational activities.
Educating parents about the importance of exercise and proper nutrition for their children will also
help children become more physically fit. Parents need more information about what a healthy weight is
for their children and how to achieve fitness goals. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is aligning
with the new White House Obesity Initiative launched on February 9, 2010 in recommending that Body
Mass Index (BMI) be calculated for every child at every well-child visit and that information be provided to
parents about how to help their child achieve a healthy weight. The AAP is also recommending that
prescriptions for healthy active living (good nutrition and physical activity) are provided at every wellchild visit. “A Framework for Child Health Services; Supporting Healthy Development and School Readiness
of Connecticut’s Young Children” published by CHDI also indicates that early care and education programs
and family support service programs should be partners in providing outreach to parents on health
information (page 6). Providing preschool teachers and family support providers with information about
proper nutrition and preventing obesity will be an important component in providing parents with the
information they need to tackle their children’s physical fitness challenges.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 12
The Behavioral Health of Danbury’s Children
Percent of Danbury Children Performing at Levels 1, 2, and 3 on
Personal/Social Skills of the KEI
120
100
80
60
18.7
53.6
40
20
26.9
33.91
45.8
39.12
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
27.7
26.9
26.97
2010
2011
2012
0
Definitions:
Performance Level 1: Students at this level demonstrate emerging skills in the specified domain and require a large degree of
instructional support.
Performance Level 2: Students at this level inconsistently demonstrate the skills in the specified domain and require some
instructional support.
Performance Level 3: Students at this level consistently demonstrate the skills in the specified domain and require minimal
instructional support.
As the table above indicates, Danbury is showing some improvement in the percent of children who are
performing at Level 1 in the Personal/Social Skills domain of the Kindergarten Entrance Inventory. “A
Framework for Child Health Services: Supporting the Healthy Development and School Readiness of
Connecticut’s Children,” published by CHDI, explains that social-emotional factors can be as or more
important than cognitive factors in determining a child’s readiness for school. Children whose behavioral
health needs are addressed at an early age will be ready to participate productively in kindergarten. But the
statistics for Danbury show that many of our young children are not receiving the behavioral guidance they
need.
The Story Behind the Behavioral Health Statistics in Danbury
Lack of Access and Affordability. Access to behavioral health services in Danbury reflects the challenges
that are faced by Connecticut as a whole. The Maternal Child Health Research Center has indicated that in
Connecticut, access to behavioral health providers is the worst for all pediatric subspecialties, receiving a
score of 5, or “not at all adequate.” (Source: “A Framework for Child Health Services: Supporting the
Healthy Development and School Readiness of Connecticut’s Children”) Data collected in Danbury mirrors
this access problem. Only 49% of respondents to the 2009 Danbury Parent Survey felt that there were
enough mental or behavioral health services in Danbury that were affordable. Only 28% of middle income
families (making between $40,000 and $80,000 per year) and only 22% of parents of children with special
needs felt behavioral health services were adequate and affordable.
Focus Groups conducted in Danbury on behavioral health indicated that parents of children with
mental/behavioral health issues need more help with health insurance, assistance in paying for services
and medication, and more flexible hours that will accommodate their work schedules. They found that help
could be limited and appointments times with doctors too short. They felt that more qualified staff were
needed at schools, at state agencies, and at local services.
Need for More Multilingual Providers and Translators. The Focus Groups also demonstrated a need for
more translation services and multicultural staff to serve families whose first language isn’t English. These
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 13
findings were strongly reinforced by research conducted by the Family Focus Partnership of Danbury in
2007.
With more than 38% of Danbury’s students living in homes where English is not the primary language,
language and cultural barriers are without a doubt affecting the delivery of behavioral health services in
our community. Hispanic children in particular may suffer from access problems. Nationwide, according to
the National Center for Children in Poverty, “children and youth of Hispanic/Latino descent are less likely
to receive services for their mental health problems than any other racial group” and “language barriers
further exacerbate access problems.”
A greater number of Danbury-area behavioral health providers who speak languages other than
English and are culturally sensitive are needed to ensure that children of Hispanic and other non-English
speaking families will have access to behavioral health services.
Parent education on awareness of behavioral health, how to identify behavioral health issues, and how
to access behavioral health services, especially for uninsured and underinsured children, will also facilitate
better access and utilization.
Partnering with early care and education providers and the schools on both behavioral health delivery
and parent education will demonstrate best practices in behavioral health care coordination.
Framework for Action in the Strategic Area of Health
Awareness and Actions:
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership will address health awareness and actions through the
following strategies:
Health Awareness and Actions
Strategy 1 : Ensure all families have access to information and resources on health, behavioral health, and oral
health topics.
Substrategy: Encourage collaboration and improved networking/service coordination among providers in these
disciplines.
Action
Responsible Party
Financing
Timeline
Provide ongoing education Health Team Members
$1,000 for materials
Beginning in April 2012
to service providers and
and ongoing.
faith-based organizations
on the top 5-7 health
related topics.
Create mechanism for
Discovery Director and
$2,500 for printing of
Beginning April 2012 and
local programs to share
Health Team Members
Directory of Services and
ongoing.
information on the
posting of Directory on
services they offer.
Website.
Revisions and second
printing of Directory
scheduled for May 2014.
Substrategy: Increase knowledge about health resources in the community and differentiate between various
resources.
Performance Measures: # of community events attended by Health Team Members
# of Directories distributed.
# of new families that apply for HUSKY
Action
Responsible Party
Financing
Timeline
Create a public awareness Discovery Coordinator,
$2,500 for printing of
Beginning in April 2012
campaign that informs the Health Team Members,
Directory of Services and
and ongoing.
community about what
and all members of the
posting of Directory on
Revisions and second
health resources exist,
Partnership
Website.
printing of Directory
whether insurance is
scheduled for May 2014.
accepted, and what type
of payment is provided.
$200 for initial printing of January 2014 and
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 14
“Resources for New
Parents in Danbury.”
Sheet was created and
printed in English/Spanish
and distributed to new
mothers at Hospital and
pregnant women at
Danbury Hospital
Women’s Health Center.
ongoing.
No cost/low cost:
attendance at
information fairs and
community events.
Increase support for
families for how to apply
to the HUSKY program
Participate in Danbury
Hospital’s Community
Health Improvement Plan
Health Team Members
Discovery Director acts as
Chair for Public Health
Initiative #4: Improve
Awareness and Utilization
of Existing Health and
Social Programs. Health
Team Members also serve.
Partnership Director,
Director at WCSU Childcare
Center, Director at Hudson
Country Montesorri, and
Staff at the Regional YMCA
Participate in Child Health
and Development
Institute’s Early Childhood
Health Data Institute to
explore common health
problems and promote
greater use of the Spanish
“yellow” health form.
Substrategy: Increase oral health services
Action
Responsible Party
Increase awareness of
Health Team
pediatricians on how to
incorporate health
information into regular
check ups, including the
application of fluoride
varnish.
Pursue efforts to bring
mobile dental services to
early childhood programs
in Danbury.
Create outreach worker
positions (bilingual) that
connect families with
information through
traditional and nontraditional channels.
Members of the Health
Team and other
Partnership Members
As capacity allows.
No Cost.
August 2013 and ongoing
$5,000 grant from CHDI
March 2013 and ongoing
Financing
Low-cost/No-cost
Timeline
When capacity allows.
$50,000/ year including
benefits and travel.
When funding allows.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 15
Strategy 2: Ensure that the behavioral health needs of Danbury’s youngest children and families are met.
Substrategy: Increase the number of behavioral health providers that are bilingual/bicultural
Performance Measure: % of mental health clinicians who are able to serve non-English speaking families.
Action
Responsible Party
Financing
Timeline
Develop career awareness Danbury Public School
When capacity allows.
programs at the local high District
school.
Secure scholarship funds
Health Team Members and
When capacity allows.
for Bachelor of Social
Western CT State
Work Programs.
University
Substrategy: Promote awareness among community providers, pediatricians, preschool staff, and Danbury Public
School personnel about the various supports and programs in the community for young children with
behavioral/mental health challenges.
Performance Measure: #/% of referrals to community programs.
Action
Responsible Party
Financing
Timeline
Explore the establishment Partnership Director, Child Low Cost/No Cost
April 2014 and ongoing.
of a single convening body First Staff, Families
(meeting costs)
that brings together
Network of Western CT
providers, pediatricians,
staff, Danbury Public
preschool staff, and school Schools’ Early Childhood
personnel to discuss
Program Coordinator,
appropriate programs and pediatricians, and others.
address issues on a caseby-case basis.
Substrategy: Provide training to preschool teachers on how to address the needs of children with behavioral issues
and identify children with the most urgent behavioral health needs.
Performance Measure: #/% of preschool teachers who have been trained in Solid Ground Program.
Action
Responsible Party
Financing
Timeline
Provide Solid Ground
Danbury Public School
Year 1: $60,7000 (January January 2014 through
training to 50 preschool
District
2014 through June 2014)
June 2015.
teachers who work with
Year 2: $102,315 (June
Danbury children.
2014 through June 2015)
Substrategy: Increase awareness about maternal depression and its impact on young children’s development.
Performance Measure: # of Maternal Depression screenings and referrals made by Health Team Members.
Action
Responsible Party
Financing
Timeline
Increase awareness of
Health Team Members
No cost/low cost
Grand rounds with
both ob/gyns and
with Danbury Hospital
pediatricians conducted in
pediatricians on this topic
June 2011 and again in
through Grand Rounds.
January 2014 with
Barbara Ward
Zimmerman of CHDI.
Information about billing
public and private
insurance for screening is
ongoing.
Determine what is
Partnership Director,
No cost/low cost
Ongoing since March
currently offered in the
Health Team Members
2011
community. Coordinate
with the Post-Partum
Depression outreach and
information efforts of the
CT Health and
Development Institute and
the CT Perinatal Mental
Health Workgroup to
identify resources in the
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 16
community.
Advocate for more
affordable and accessible
services for mothers
experiencing maternal
depression.
Coordinate team
members, purchase
materials in multiple
languages, and provide
outreach to promote
awareness and connect
mothers with services.
Partnership Director,
Health Team members
No cost/low cost
Ongoing since March of
2011
Health Team Members and
Consultant
$3,500 for materials
Ongoing since March of
2011
Bilingual materials
distributed through
Families Network of
Western CT, the Danbury
Hospital Women’s Health
Center, and to pediatric
offices through a
partnership with the City
Dept. of Public Health.
Free materials also
obtained through the US
Dept. of Health and
Human Services
Strategy 3: Prevent/reduce childhood obesity.
Substrategy: Increase opportunities for children to be physically active.
Performance Measure: #/% of children ages 3–8 identified as overweight or obese by BMI criteria.
Action
Responsible Party
Financing
Timeline
Provide training to early
Consultant and childcare
$19,000
When funding is available.
childhood providers of all
providers.
types on the importance
of physical activity and
good nutrition and ways
to include it in the
children’s day.
Substrategy: Educate families on obesity prevention
Action
Responsible Party.
Financing
Timeline
Educate families on the
Health Team Members
$3,000 for Mind in the
Beginning in October 2011
importance of reducing
working with the Coalition
Making Activities.
and ongoing.
screen time.
for Healthy Kids and Mind
in the Making
Show Mind in the Making
Subcommittee
Videos about the effects
of television viewing on
children.
No Cost/Low Cost in
Distribute 5-2-1-0
Partnership with the
Brochures.
Coalition for Healthy Kids
Participate in Danbury
Health Team Members
No Cost/Low Cost
Beginning in March 2011
Coalition for Healthy Kids
and ongoing.
to advocate for antiobesity activities that are
focused on children ages
birth through 5.
Calculate BMI information Danbury Public School
Data obtained for
th
th
for all preschool, K, and
District, Childcare
Kindergarten, 6 , and 9
grade 1 and 2 children and Providers, Health Team
grade in January 2014.
inform parents of the
members and volunteers
More capacity needed to
results.
collected data for
preschoolers and children
in grades 1 and 2 and to
inform parents.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 17
Other data would we collect, track, and analyze in the Health Awareness and Actions strategic area if it
were readily available and/or the Promise for Children Partnership had the capacity:


% of ER visits for non-emergency care.
% of children tardy more than 5 times in the kindergarten year.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 18
Parenting that Supports Healthy Development
and Early Learning
Population Result: Parents are connected with the supports and resources they need to raise children
who are able to reach their potential in school.
Parents are their children’s first and most important teachers, nurturers, and role models. With loving,
nurturing and attentive parents and caregivers, children will thrive. Danbury’s Promise for Children
Partnership has selected the following two “headline indicators” to help us measure progress in this area:


% of kindergarten children assessed as “ready” on the Kindergarten Entrance Inventory.
% of children at/above proficiency on the Third Grade Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT).
The Kindergarten Entrance Inventory indicator was selected because it is a culminating point of data
captured on all kindergarten children in the schools. It helps to capture a child’s first five years of life –
both their experiences at home and in the community. The early years of a child’s life are the most
important as the brain develops according to both the nurturing the child experiences as well as the natural
abilities children are born with.
What does the data for Danbury tell us?
First, most of our children in Danbury enter school needing more than a minimum additional level of
support to acquire kindergarten level skills. The chart below shows the percent of students assessed at
Level 3 at kindergarten entry in 2011–2012. Students performing at Level 3 consistently demonstrate the
skills in the specified domain and require minimal additional instructional support. Children assessed at
Performance Level 1 generally demonstrate emerging skills in the specified domain and require a large
degree of additional instructional support.
Percent of Children at Level 3 on Kindergarten Entrance Inventory,
2011-2012
Creative
Language
Literacy
Numeracy
Personal/Social
Physical/Motor
0
10
20
Danbury
30
40
50
60
State
As the chart above shows, a significant number of Danbury kindergarten children are performing below
their peers in all domains. More analysis is needed to understand what effect the great diversity of our
young children has on the Kindergarten Entrance Inventory, if any. As indicated by CMTs for Third Grade
through Eighth Grade, Hispanic children, Black children, children who speak a language other than English,
children from families of lower economic means, and children with special needs are not doing as well as
their peers.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 19
The implications for a kindergarten student who starts school performing behind his/her peers is
staggering: while some are able to catch up, many do not. Their performance tends to lag behind their
peers, making them more at risk for reading difficulties, attendance issues, and later school drop out.
Danbury’s scores on the CMT reflect the inability of many of these children to catch up with their peers,
both within Danbury and compared to other communities.
Percent of Danbury Students Performing At Goal on
the 3rd Grade Reading CMT
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Danbury
State
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Danbury 38.8 47 46.5 52.6 46.3 41.9
State
52.1 54.6 57.1 58.4
Percent of Danbury Students Performing At Goal on
the 3rd Grade Math CMT
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Danbury
State
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Danbury 54.3 63.8 59.5 64.8 64.2 48.5
State
60.2
63
62.6 63.3
Many students are not meeting the level of performance that this community desires. Danbury
students did not perform as well as the State averages for Reading, with better results than the State for
Math in some years.
By helping Danbury parents to create a safe nurturing environment for their children and promoting a
greater understanding among parents and the community about the resources available, the importance of
early literacy, children’s developmental milestones, and good physical and behavioral health, Danbury’s
Promise for Children Partnership can “turn the curve” and ensure that more children arrive prepared for
kindergarten and do better in school, as reflected in improved CMT scores.
The Story Behind the Family Support Statistics in Danbury
Why are so many of Danbury’s children not coming to school ready to learn? The following factors
relate to parent support.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 20
Parents’ Lack of Knowledge About Services. The 2009 Danbury Parent Survey indicated that
“Knowledge of Services” was the second biggest barrier to access to services in the Danbury community
(85% identified it as a factor in finding or using programs), second only to cost (86%). In fact, the survey
indicated that most parents (76%) rely on “word of mouth” to learn about the services that are available to
them. In a meeting with Danbury Family Support providers, held on November 19, 2009, many providers
cited the need to get more information out to parents about family support services. While Danbury
agencies offer some parenting skills classes in English, Spanish, and/or Portuguese, many parents are
simply not aware of these opportunities. Parents who are isolated and disconnected from services will not
be aware of, or understand, tools such as the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. They may not realize that
their child has not reached an important developmental milestone, and not make the call to Birth to Three.
They may not know that they qualify for a home visitation service, or how such a service could be beneficial
to them. They also may not understand the importance of the early years as a foundation for future
learning. For many Danbury parents, a greater awareness and understanding of the services available to
them will help them to provide the nurturing and early learning experiences at home and in the community
that prepare their children for school success.
Almost 25% of Danbury children are born to mothers who have not completed high school. When
parents do not have much experience with education or have had a bad experience, they are less able to
support their child’s education.
Educational attainment is also correlated to income level.
Poverty. Danbury’s Strategic School Profile for 2010-2011 indicates that 45% of Danbury’s children are
eligible for free and reduced price lunch. In some of our elementary schools, that number is as high as 69%.
Hundreds of studies have documented the link between poverty and a child’s health, achievement, and
behavior. Certainly parents who are unable to provide children with their most basic needs (food, clothing,
shelter) may be less able to provide children with the types of supports needed to promote their proper
development and prepare them for school. Fortunately, studies also indicate that interventions during
early childhood may reduce poverty’s impact on children (Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Greg J. Duncan 1997).
Connecting Danbury’s parents to services and supports may reduce the impact of poverty on children’s
readiness for school, especially if there is a smooth transition into school, supports are available as needed,
and schools are family-friendly.
Need for More Intensive Services to Prevent Abuse and Neglect and to Help Parents Be More
Effective. While Danbury does offer home visitation services that are designed to prevent abuse and
neglect and support parents who are identified as at-risk, research conducted by the Danbury Parent
Resource Initiative indicates that more services are needed, and more awareness is needed about who is
eligible for those services. The need for more home visits was identified because of the economic
downturn. Some families require services to help them with basic needs, and to keep their housing, for
example, before they can work on matters to address parenting. In addition, while Danbury has a Nurturing
Family Program offering home visits to first-time parents at risk of child abuse or neglect, it was only until
this past year that we were able to bring expanded home visiting services to the community, to at-risk
parents who may have more than one child, using the Parents As Teachers model.
Language/Literacy and Culture Barriers for Parents. As more than 38% of Danbury students speak a
language other than English at home and 18.7% of Danbury students are enrolled in ELL programs, many
of our families simply don’t have the language skills necessary to access services and supports. The 2009
Danbury Parent Survey indicated that 72% of Danbury parents felt that the language barrier was a “big or
moderate” factor in parents’ ability to find or use programs (84% of Hispanic parents report it as a factor).
Coming into a completely new culture and educational system, parents may not be familiar with the
markers of typical child development or understand the importance of providing a literacy-rich home
environment. In fact, some parents are be unable to read well, or are afraid to read to their children in their
native languages because they think this will hurt their child’s educational success, rather than help it. In
Community Interviews conducted as part of the Parent Resource Discovery Initiative, “low literacy levels
among parents” was identified as a barrier to accessing information. In summary, with so many Danbury
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 21
parents facing the challenges of arriving in a new country, and so many with different educational levels
and expectations, the challenges to preparing children for kindergarten are numerous.
How Does Danbury Turn the Curve?
Numerous studies have cited the importance of parent involvement in children’s school success
(Henderson and Mapp, 2002). Arthur Reynolds and Melissa Clements, in their long-term study of Chicago
Parent Centers, found that “children’s readiness for school entry can be enriched through family support
and language learning activities” and that programs that provide “intensive resources for parent
involvement yield greater and longer-lasting benefits than many efforts that consume a larger share of
public spending.”
Here in Danbury, teachers attending a professional development day discussion on parental
involvement (sponsored by Danbury Discovery in 2004) indicated that they felt children would do better in
school if their parents understood the following:
• The importance of teaching skills through everyday, fun activities at home
• The importance to reading to their children
• The importance of proper sleep, good nutrition, and safety
• The need to provide a structured home environment and to teach children respect and proper conduct
• Developmentally appropriate milestones
With the understanding that parent involvement is crucial to school success and that children who are
spending their childhood in safe, nurturing, and learning-rich environments will do better in school, the
Promise for Children Partnership proposes the following Strategies:
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 22
Framework for Action in the Strategic Area of Parenting
that Supports Healthy Development and Early Learning:
For this strategic area, the following indicators are helpful to measure the impact on child
outcomes:
Home visiting has been identified as a best practice for parents of infants and very young children to
support parenting to achieve their child’s optimal development through numerous research studies and is
proposed as important to expand for more Danbury parents with infants and young children. Home and
personal visits have a record of improving life for Danbury’s children. The spike in the number of Danbury
children who have been abused, neglected, or not cared for, as shown in the chart below, indicates the great
need for more parenting support services, including home and personal visits.
Number of Children Substantiated as
Abused/Neglected/Uncared For in Danbury
250
200
150
Total
100
Physical Abuse
50
0
Total
Physical Abuse
2008
116
10
2009
180
14
2010
197
16
2011
194
18
2012
196
13
2013
149
22
The largest public investment within Danbury’s Family Support System is in home visits, including
Early Intervention Services (Birth to Three System) for children with developmental delays and other
special needs.
In addition, the number of children enrolled in the Ages and Stages Program would be a good
performance measure when data could be collected across all programs. The Ages and Stages program
provides a family-friendly way for parents to understand more about their child’s developmental
milestones and to help identify if any additional services are needed to ensure the best possible outcomes
for the child. Child Development Infoline keeps records of those who use Ages and Stages through their site
only. In 2013, Child Development Infoline had records for 43 Danbury children participating in Ages and
Stages. In 2014, Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership is working with the State of Connecticut’s
Office of Early Childhood on the Help Me Grow Campaign. We conducted three Ages & Stages trainings in
Danbury. In addition, we are holding three Community Cafés for parents, two ASQ registration events, and
one developmental screening event. We hope that these outreach efforts will lead to more Danbury parents
of young children connecting with Help Me Grow, and more children being screened for developmental
delays.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 23
Parenting That Supports Healthy Development and Early Learning
Strategy 1: Increase home and personal visiting services for families with young children so they can create a home
environment that is safe, nurturing, and promotes healthy development and learning.
Substrategy: Expand and improve access to home and personal visiting services in the community.
Performance Measure: Percent of non-English speaking families being successfully served by Home and Personal
Visiting Services. (To be developed.)
Action
Responsible Party
Financing
Timeline
Develop a collaborative
Parenting Team and
No Cost/Low Cost
Conducted in 2010.
table of home visiting
Agencies that Provide
$240 for 6 Meetings at
providers from across all
Home Visiting Services
$40 per meeting
Follow up in 2014-15.
strategic areas of this early
childhood plan to:
1) Identify and
describe all home
visit programs in
detail for providers,
parents, and the
community.
2) Identify services
to expand, or alter
eligibility
requirements to
improve access.
3) Examine cost and
child outcomes to
determine the best
use of resources.
4) Examine and
improve
responsiveness to
needs of diverse
cultural/ language
population, as well
as to those with
special needs.
Expand home visiting
services to families of
children ages birth to eight
years old using the Parents
As Teachers Model.
Expand ability to serve nonEnglish speaking families and
families from diverse
backgrounds:
1) provide multi-cultural
education to providers.
2) hire bi-cultural/ bi-lingual
staff as needed and when
possible.
Provide home visitation
services to the most
vulnerable children and
families to decrease serious
emotional disturbance
through Child First Program.
Families Network of
Western CT
$200,000+
July 2014 and ongoing.
Family and Children’s Aid
$425,000 for two teams
under federal MIECHV
funding
October 2012 and
ongoing
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 24
Raise public awareness of
the importance of home
visits to parents of young
children, to support the
child’s health, care, early
literacy, and to promote
connection/referrals to
other services as
appropriate.
Use existing and new
networks, schools,
health/social service
providers, early childhood
providers, and electronic
sharing of information to
inform service providers
about services.
Parent Outreach Worker
(when resources are
secured)
$50,000/year, including
benefits and travel.
Parenting Team and
Discovery Director, in
coordination with other
Partnership Members
No Cost/Low Cost to
share information
through team meetings,
at events, etc.
Expand the capacity of the
family support system to
deliver information and
referrals on the full range of
services available to families.
This would include:
1) Professional
development to
orient and familiarize
service providers
about all elements of
the Danbury Early
Childhood System
that includes the
Partnership members,
Discovery Coordinator,
Danbury Public School
staff.
$26,000 plus use existing
information services,
such as the Parent-toParent Newsletter and
the media.
As funding allows.
Ongoing. Information
about PAT Program and
Child First distributed at
community meetings, at
parent outreach events,
early childhood fair, and
to doctors’ and
pediatricians’ offices
through partnership with
the City Dept. of Public
Health.
Strategy 2: Increase parents’ knowledge about developmental milestones, early literacy, socio-emotional
development, health, and oral health.
Substrategy: Reach families with information through traditional and nontraditional formats.
Action
Responsible Party
Financing
Timeline
Publish and make widely
Discovery Director,
$1,500 for initial printing
Completed by May 2012
accessible to providers
Discovery Community
of 500 Directories
resource directories on each Coordinator, and
component of the early
Partnership Members
$2,500 for updating and
May 2014
childhood system, (Home
additional printing
Visits, Parent Education,
Parent Information,
Playgroups/Parent-Child
Activity Groups, Early
Literacy, Parent Support,
and Health Services) utilizing
the existing media. Include
information on details of the
service, eligibility, fees, and
languages spoken. Make
directories available in
multiple languages.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
As funding allows.
page 25
family support system
services, health
system services,
educational
resources, and early
care/childcare.
2) Explore more and
deeper partnerships,
including with the
new Family Literacy
Center.
1)
2)
3)
4)
Expand capacity to connect
families in traditional and
non-traditional ways on the
topics listed above, ensuring
that the approach also
incorporates non-English
speaking families, by:
1) Using parents who
are informed to connect
with other parents.
2) Establishing Latino
Parent Advisory Board
to connect to Spanishspeaking parents and
gain a greater
understanding of the
needs and concerns of
their families
3) Conducting
Information Fairs that
offer opportunities for
social service providers,
health and behavioral
health providers, and all
agencies serving
families to present their
services to families.
Information should be
presented in many
languages. The fair
would be conducted at
a time and place that
would be accessible to
as many families as
possible.
4) Promoting more
services and
information in multiple
languages, and translate
information into
Spanish and Portuguese
if it is not already
available (and other
languages as
determined by need).
Partnership is active and
ongoing, with the Family
Literacy Center
supporting our work,
providing data,
facilitating Book Club,
etc.
Partnership members,
Community Coordinator,
and Translators
$500+/year for food for
meetings and childcare
for Latino Parent
Advisory Board.
Latino Parent Advisory
Board meetings in
December of 2013 and
March 2014. Future
meetings scheduled.
$3,000 per information
fair.
Information fairs
conducted in March
2010, February 2013, and
February 2014 . More will
be scheduled as funding
allows.
Community Coordinator
translates information as
capacity allows.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 26
Use a variety of ways to get
information to parents:
1) Distribute bi-lingual
early learning
placemats through
local restaurants.
5) Distribute revised
lists of resources that
were created over the
years; utilize Born
Learning Materials
and other existing
resources to provide
information to
parents.
Partnership members,
United Way, Danbury
Children First, local
restaurants
Parent Outreach Worker
financing is secured.
$2,500 for Early Learning
Placemats
Ongoing.
Placemats printed and
distributed.
Danbury Children First,
United Way
$1,500 for Resource
Sheets. UW funding for
Born Learning Materials.
Ongoing through
community events.
Substrategy: Increase Parenting Education Classes, Parent-to-Parent Supports, and Links to Services
Action
Responsible Party
Financing
Timeline
Expand existing programs by Partnership members and $150,000
As funding allows.
collaborating and partnering Family Support Providers
with other organizations (i.e.
faith based organizations,
cultural centers, etc.) and
among family support
providers.
Playgroups & Parent-Child
Partnership members and $32,000 to fully fund
Initial meeting and
Activity Groups:
members of the Mind in
workshop held with
1) Support parent/
the Making
Playgroup providers in
volunteer led
Subcommittee
June 2011.
playgroups and
Parent Outreach Worker
$2,500 for Mind in the
Mind in the Making
parent-child activity
would also support in the Making Workshops
Workshops held in 2013
groups to provide
future.
and 2014 at the Danbury
more information to
Public Schools Family
families on services,
Learning Center and the
other resources in the
Morris Street Resource
community, and
Center and at 2014
provide hands-on
Parent University.
education about
physical fitness and
activities that support
fitness.
2) Help the facilitators
clearly identify their
transportation needs
in order to discover
solutions.
3) Continue to survey
families about gaps in
the city for
playgroups and
parent-child activity
groups and create a
plan to address those
unmet needs,
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 27
especially for
immigrant families.
Work to create a Parent
Center, which would provide
a central place for parents to
connect with resources and
each other.
Parents and agency
partners
As funding allows.
Substrategy: Expand the use of developmental screening of young children to identify any health or socialemotional issues to ensure that parents, in partnership with providers, can provide the best intervention services
to address the well-being of children.
Performance Measure: % of children ages birth through 5 in Danbury for whom and Ages and Stages questionnaire
is submitted.
Action
Responsible Party
Financing
Timeline
Link families to the Ages and
Stages Questionnaire (ASQ)
and enroll them in the
program (developmental
screening tool). Develop a
method to collect and track
Danbury families using the
ASQ across all appropriate
family support programs.
This will include:
(1) Participate in the
Partnership Director
$5,000 for outreach work January through
2014 Help Me Grow
working with the
under the statewide
September 2014.
statewide outreach
Parenting Team and Help campaign.
campaign to create
Me Grow Statewide staff
Three Ages & Stages
more awareness of the
$2,500 for Parent
trainings held in Danbury
Ages and Stages tool, a
Stipends for Campaign
between September 2013
best practice and
Outreach Work
and February 2014.
family-friendly,
developmental
Community Cafes
screening tool for use
planned for April 2014.
by parents of children
up to age five. The goal
Registration Events
of the campaign is to
planned for May 2014.
register more parents
for the program, and
Screening Event planned
to screen more twofor September of 2014.
year olds in Danbury.
(2) Coordinate family
support providers and
providers from other
community sectors to
introduce the tool to
parents and follow-up
to ensure its maximum
use,
(3) Development of a
data collection system
in Danbury to track the
children who have a
developmental
screening.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 28
Substrategy: Expand literacy programs.
Performance Measure: # of parents and # of children served by the Family Literacy Center, Lee y Serás, and Read
and Rise
Action
Responsible Party
Financing
Timeline
Develop early literacy
Early Childhood Providers
systemic approach for all
parents so that they
understand how to support
early learning at home,
through coordination and
partnership of those
involved in early literacy
services.
Work to embed early
Parent Outreach Worker
Cost of materials and
As funding allows.
literacy into the family
(when available) and
agency time.
support delivery system,
Danbury Children First,
Reach Out and Read
health system, and early
United Way of Western
brought to Danbury’s
care and education system,
CT, Danbury Public School
Seifert and Ford Clinic
by providing professional
District Family Literacy
and Samaritan Health
development to staff
Center, Family Support
Center through
working with families of
Agencies, and Health
Partnership facilitation
young children.
Providers
and funding from private
foundation in 2012.
Program is ongoing.
Offer at least two 6-week
Danbury Children First,
$12,000/year
Ongoing and as funding
Lee y serás early literacy
Danbury Public Schools
allows.
programs for Latino parents
Family Literacy Center
each year, serving at least 30
families each year and
impacting 40 Latino children
ages from infants to five
years old.
Expand to offer at least 4 per Danbury Children First,
Additional $12,000
Fall 2013 and as funding
year.
Danbury Public Schools
allows.
Offer the Read and Rise
Danbury Children First
$66,000/year
As funding allows.
Early Literacy Program at
and Danbury Public
each Danbury elementary
School District
school.
Strategy 3: Increase Public Knowledge About the Importance of Early Years for Learning and Development Through
a Public Awareness Campaign
Substrategy: Connect with the local media, businesses, faith-based organizations, and formal and informal leaders
in the community.
Action
Responsible Party
Financing
Timeline
Create a detailed external
Discovery Director, Fund
$250 to print marketing
New marketing piece
communications plan to
Development
piece.
developed and
promote public awareness
Professional, Partnership
distributed in October of
of the importance of early
Chairs, and other
PSAs and other outreach
2013. PSAs and
childhood.
Partnership members
provided in-kind.
newspaper
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 29
advertisements in May of
2014 with Fund
Development Director
and Mayor Boughton
Executive Advisory Board
holds first meeting in
March 2014, which
includes key leaders and
influential individuals.
Presentations have been
made to YMCA, and
Rotary, Kiwanis, and
Board of Education.
Hold meetings in the
community and one-on-one
with key leaders and
influential individuals.
Discovery Director, Fund
Development
Professional, Partnership
Chairs, and other
Partnership members
No Cost/ Low Cost
Plan and deliver a series of
articles on early childhood
development topics for
newspapers to publish, faithbased groups to include in
their bulletins, and
businesses to distribute
through their human
resource departments, as
part of a more detailed
external communications
plan.
Facebook and other social
media tools used to convey
messages about early
learning and the
Partnership’s goals to
parents and the community
at large.
Parenting Team
Members, Discovery
Director, and other
Partnership Members
No Cost/Low Cost
Ongoing. Articles have
appeared on a regular
basis in the Danbury
News Times and the
Tribuna Newspaper.
Opinion pieces by
Partnership Members
and Parent Leaders have
appeared in both
newspapers.
Discovery Director, Social
Media Consultant, United
Way Staff, Parenting
Team Members
$4,000 for Social Media
Consultant
Ongoing. Facebook page
updated at least twice
weekly. Currently has 274
likes.
Constant Contact
Newsletters that provide
updates on Partnership
activities are sent at least
quarterly.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 30
Readiness for School/Early School Success
All Danbury children aged birth through eight are healthy and ready for
school and lifelong learning.
Readiness for School
Early childhood education programs can be effective vehicles to promote readiness for school, especially
for young children from low-income families. However, programs can be effective only when they are of
high quality. Danbury families use a variety of early childhood program options including:



Centers (i.e. Head Start, School Readiness-funded programs, centers funded by the Department of
Social Services, nursery schools, other child care centers)
Family childcare homes (care for up to six full-time children in someone’s home, licensed by the
State Department of Public Health)
Family, friend and neighbor care. Some arrangements are legal and others operate as illegal family
child care homes or centers.
In the previous section we focused on ways parents and families can help a child become ready for school.
In this section we will look at early childhood programs. However, we will use the same measure:
% of kindergarten children assessed as “ready” on the Literacy Domain of the Kindergarten
Entrance Inventory
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
16.4
39.9
22.9
22.3
37.8
42.9
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
43.8
39.3
34.7
2009-2010
2010-2011
2011-2012
Most of our children in Danbury enter school needing more than a minimum additional level of support
to acquire kindergarten level skills. The chart above shows the percent of students assessed at Levels 3, 2
and 1 in 2009-2010 through 2011-2012. Students performing at Level 3 consistently demonstrate the skills
in the specified domain and require minimal additional instructional support. Children assessed at Level 2
inconsistently demonstrate the skills in the specified domain and require some instructional support.
Children assessed at Performance Level 1 generally demonstrate emerging skills in the specified domain
and require a large degree of additional instructional support.
The implications for a kindergarten student who starts school performing behind his/her peers is
staggering: while some are able to catch up, many do not. Their performance tends to lag behind their
peers making them at risk for reading difficulties, attendance issues, and later school drop out.
Additional data obtained in 2014 on the Developmental Reading Assessment reflects the need for
children to be better prepared to enter kindergarten.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 31
% of Danbury Students At or Above Grade Level
on Spring 2013 DRA
80
70
60
40
45.1
39
36.2
44.3
39
55
54.3
51
50.2
50
67.7
65.7
55.4
55
47.6
41.3
42.8
Total Students
35.2
ELL
30
21.5
20.4
Grade 2
Grade 3
FRP
23.7
17.9
20
10
0
K Half Day K Full Day
Grade 1
Grade 4
Grade 5
For most students, and low-income students, scores improve as children progress through the grades.
Lower scores in the later grades for ELL students may reflect the fact that students in the higher grades are
just entering the country and the students in ELL in kindergarten and grade 1 may no longer be in the ELL
program in higher grades.
The Story Behind the School Readiness Statistics in Danbury
Why are so many kindergartners starting school without the skills they need to succeed? The
challenges faced by Danbury’s early care system are in some ways unique, and in some ways reflect
challenges faced by many of Connecticut’s communities.
No Early Childhood Programming Experience. Approximately 78% of Danbury’s kindergarteners have
attended preschool, nursery school, or Head Start; 22% have not. Why are so many children missing out on
valuable preschool experiences? While high-quality early childhood programs can help to prepare children
for kindergarten, families may not be able to access those programs, for a variety of reasons, including
capacity limits, costs, transportation, and parent choice.
Capacity. It is estimated that there are 1,028 children are attending preschool or nursery school in
Danbury. Of those, approximately 400 are in School Readiness programs. The Danbury School Readiness
Council estimates that more than 400 School Readiness program spaces would be needed to accommodate
all families who could use the programs.
This capacity problem is exacerbated by the alarming drop in licensed family day care centers in
Danbury. There are currently only 26 licensed family day care centers in Danbury serving infant/toddlers,
down from 210 in 2008. This drop is partially due to the fact that demand has decreased, as parents seek
more affordable, unlicensed childcare for preschoolers while they work. There are also a number of
disincentives for family providers to become licensed, including rigorous guidelines and standards and the
cost of obtaining a license.
Cost. Cost of care is certainly a major factor that prevents many Danbury parents from accessing quality
childcare. The average weekly cost of infant/toddler care in a center is $253.40; in a licensed family day
care center it’s $188.26 for infants/toddlers. With more than 1,000 families in Danbury living below the
poverty level, it can be difficult for families to come up with the money needed to send their children to
licensed care. Many families are opting to use unlicensed centers and “kith and kin” providers, where the
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 32
setting is frequently non-educational, simply to make it possible to work. Parents who work irregular hours
and do shift work may also be unable to access programs that are available during normal working hours.
While Connecticut’s Care4Kids programs is designed to help low- to moderate-income families pay for
childcare costs, many families struggle with the paperwork required to apply for the program, or may not
meet eligibility requirements. Currently, 560 children are being supported by Care4Kids program in
Danbury.
Transportation. Transportation may also play a role in preventing parents from enrolling their children in
quality early care settings. Many of Danbury’s lower income and immigrant families have only one car or no
car at all. Few childcare centers are located on bus lines, and obtaining bus transportation that coordinates
with parents’ working hours and the childcare settings’ programming hours can be a near logistical
impossibility. In addition, buses are not easy to use when traveling with young children.
Lack of Quality in the Early Childhood Program. While finding an affordable and accessible child care
setting for a preschooler may be challenging enough, finding a setting that offers a high standard of quality
programming is even more challenging. There are currently only eight centers in Danbury that are
accredited by the National Association for the Education for Young Children (NAEYC). While School
Readiness and state-funded centers and Head Start maintain high quality standards, the many unlicensed
childcare settings used by Danbury’s low-income families may not. At the unlicensed facilities, children are
not able to benefit from a curriculum that focuses on child development, uses appropriate teaching
methods, and promotes the health and proper nutrition preschool children need. In Danbury, 71 children
receiving Care4Kids subsidies are in unregulated care, but many more who are not receiving subsidies are
placed in these types of settings where quality is not monitored.
Quality Enhancement Funding provided through the Danbury School Readiness Council is used to
provide trainings and workshops for childcare providers in all settings so that the quality of their
programming can be improved, but more funding is needed to expand the program. Quality Enhancement
programs currently receive $33,206 per year from the Department of Social Services, down from $72,000
in 2002..
Early Childhood Caregivers/Teachers Are Not Adequately Trained/Educated. Childcare providers
who want to pursue higher education in their field have very limited options in Danbury. The local college,
Western Connecticut State University, does not offer a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education.
Naugatuck Valley Community College does offer a certificate program and Associate’s Degree, but it is
about a 30-minute drive from Danbury. Area childcare workers who want to obtain a degree in this field
must be willing to travel, and courses may not be offered at times that accommodate their working hours.
Difficulty attracting and retaining qualified early childhood staff because of low wages. The median
wage for a preschool teacher in Danbury is $31,755, only about $5,000 above the living wage. With
childcare workers barely able to meet basic living expenses, it is easy to understand the challenges of
attracting educated, caring individuals to the field of early childhood education. Add to that the
skyrocketing costs of obtaining a degree (with tuition above $7,000 per year at public universities in
Connecticut, and almost $3,000 at the local community college) and one can see the challenges centers face
in recruiting qualified staff.
How Do We Turn the Curve in Danbury So That More Children Receive Preschool Experiences?
Improving the quality of all preschool programming in Danbury will ensure that more of our children will
have the developmental skills they need to start their education off on the right foot. We can do this by
increasing the number of children who have access to accredited centers, and by increasing training
opportunities for all of Danbury’s childcare providers. This includes providing more training and support
to the increasing number of family, friend, and neighbor care providers (also known as “kith and kin”
providers) that more families are relying on for affordable care.
Expanding affordable childcare and preschool offerings will require more coordinated advocacy efforts.
Parents and providers need to demand more funding for School Readiness and state-funded centers, as
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 33
well as for Head Start. And changes to the Care4Kids program, including higher reimbursement rates, will
increase the supply of affordable care in Danbury.
Framework for Action in the Strategic Area
of Readiness for School
The Promise for Children Partnership’s strategic plan will address quality early childhood
programs through the following two strategies:
School Readiness
Strategy 1: Ensure That All Childcare Providers Are of High Quality
Substrategy: Maintain and increase the number of accredited centers.
Performance Measure: % increase in the number of accredited centers each year.
Action
Responsible Party
Financing
Conduct National
State AFP Coordinator
State funded
Association for the
Education of Young Children
(NAEYC) Accreditation
Facilitation Project (AFP)
outreach to all Danbury
licensed centers.
Enroll more centers in the
State AFP Coordinator
State funded
AFP.
Encourage centers to apply
for NAEYC accreditation and
for AFP.
Substrategy: Increase training of all types to all provider types.
Performance Measure: # of providers who attend training.
Action
Responsible Party
Financing
Offer training and support
Families Network of
Quality Enhancement and
to family, friend, and
Western CT, Danbury
State Funds, as well as
neighbor care providers to
School Readiness
funding through the
help them get licensed
Coordinator, and the
Family Literacy Center
and/or improve quality.
Danbury Public School
Family Learning Center
Increase the number of
Danbury School
United Way and Promise
center based teachers who
Readiness Coordinator
for Children Partnership.
are effectively trained to
and Council, State Office
Quality Enhancement in
use the CT Early Learning
of Early Childhood
FY 2012, as well as some
and Development
private donations
Standards.
Provide training and
information on the CT Early
Learning and Development
Standards to community
home-visiting providers,
such as Birth to Three,
Parents As Teachers, and
Nurturing Families
providers.
Provide Training Wheels
teacher coaching and
Education Connection
and Danbury School
$90,6000 from private
foundation
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
Timeline
Ongoing State Program
Ongoing State Program
Timeline
Ongoing. $3,500 in
Quality Enhancement
Funds provides support
to about 15 family, friend
and neighbor care
providers each year.
Ongoing
November 2013 through
October 2014.
page 34
mentoring projects to
teachers in 20 preschool
classrooms to improve the
quality of instruction and
the Preschool Assessment
Framework growth rates of
children in those
classrooms.
Provide Solid Ground
training to 50 preschool
teachers who work with
Danbury children to
improve the teachers’
ability to manage the
classroom and work with
children with behavioral
challenges.
Provide subsidized, locally
accessible college courses in
early childhood education.
Readiness Coordinator
Danbury Public School
District
Year 1: $60,7000 (January
2014 through June 2014)
Year 2: $102,315 (June
2014 through June 2015)
January 2014 through
June 2015.
Danbury School
Readiness Coordinator
and Council, and
Naugatuck Valley
Community College
Quality Enhancement
Funds and private
donations
Two Classes Per Year
Survey providers of all types Head Start, Danbury
$1,000+
Beginning in June 2015
about their training needs
School Readiness Council,
through Survey Monkey and and Families Network of
paper surveys, and use
Western CT
information to develop
trainings.
Substrategy: Measure the progress of School Readiness students to determine if they are prepared for
kindergarten
Action
Responsible Party
Financing
Timeline
Collect PAF data on School
Danbury School
$8,000 (Partnership
Beginning in 2011 and
Readiness Students to track Readiness Coordinator,
infrastructure funding)
ongoing.
their progress and compare Discovery Director and
to non-School Readiness
Consultants
Students.
Issue report on results to
community.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 35
Strategy 2: Increase the Supply of Affordable Childcare/Preschool
Substrategy: Advocate for changes in the Care4Kids Subsidy Program and for increased funding for School
Readiness, State Department of Education Funded Spaces, and Head Start, including spaces for infants and
toddlers.
Performance Measures: # of people involved in advocacy efforts.
% of Danbury Legislative Delegation who meet with Advocacy Subcommittee.
# of press mentions about the need to expand the supply of affordable care.
Action
Responsible Party
Financing
Timeline
Create a broad coalition of
Advocacy Committee,
$1,000 materials each
Ongoing each year
grassroots, enthusiastic
Action Early Learning
year
stakeholders, including
Center, Danbury Children
parents, to participate in
First, Danbury School
advocacy efforts.
Readiness Council,
Interfaith Early Learning
Develop annual Advocacy
Center, YMCA, parents,
Agenda.
Families Network of
Western CT
Contact legislators about
the funding needs:
1. Maintain funding levels or
increase.
2. Increase Care4 Kids
subsidy rate
3. Change Care4Kids income
eligibility so more can be
served, and advocate to
streamline Care4Kids
processes and possible
program format reforms
4. Increase the number of
School Readiness and
Head Start Spaces,
including spaces for
infants and toddlers.
5. Use data and narrative to
communicate with
legislators and write a
compelling brief.
Advocacy Day at the Capitol
and individual meetings
with legislators, as well as
calls, emails.
Advocacy Committee and
additional Promise for
Children Partners
$1,000 for published brief
$1,000
Recognition of the local
delegation.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
March–April of each year
As capacity allows.
page 36
Substrategy: Create Early Childhood Scholarship Fund, as part of the Danbury Education Fund
Action
Responsible Party
Financing
Timeline
Solicit contributions to an
Fund development
Depending on funds
Beginning spring 2014.
Early Childhood Scholarship professional, Executive
raised.
Fund, which would help
Advisory Board, and
low-income parents send
members of the School
their children to quality
Readiness Council (School
preschool programs.
Readiness/Early School
Develop procedures for
Success Team)
awarding scholarships.
Early School Success
Success in the early grades is often a predictor of success in the later grades. Research shows
that children who are not reading well by the third grade have a marked risk for reading
challenges throughout their school careers. While there are many different ways to measure
“early school success,” the Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership has selected the
following “headline indicator” to help us measure progress in this area:

% of students at/above goal on the third grade Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT)
This headline indicator was selected for the following reasons:
 Many communities across the state are using the CMT data and this helps with a statewide
perspective
 The CMT is reflective of multiple domains of performance (math, literacy)
 The third grade CMT takes place at the end of the age range for our strategic plan
 The CMT is used for every student in the district
What does the data for Danbury tell us?
Percent of Danbury Students Performing At Goal on
the 3rd Grade Reading CMT
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Danbury
State
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Danbury 38.8 47 46.5 52.6 46.3 41.9
State
52.1 54.6 57.1 58.4
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 37
Percent of Danbury Students Performing At Goal on
the 3rd Grade Math CMT
100
80
60
40
Danbury
20
State
0
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Danbury 54.3 63.8 59.5 64.8 64.2 48.5
State
60.2 63 62.6 63.3
Many students are not meeting the level of performance that this community desires. Danbury students did
not perform as well as the state averages in Reading, and in Math in 2010.
Disaggregating the data by race, ethnicity, ELL students, and students on Free Lunch provides a more
detailed picture, as the charts below illustrate:
Percent of Danbury English Language Learners
Performing at Goal on the 2012-2013Third Grade
CMT
Percent of Danbury Students Performing
At/Above Goal on the 2012-13 Third-Grade
Reading CMT by Ethnicity
80
70
56.2
60
Hispanic
50
Black
38.9
40
30
60.7
White
27.4
Asian American
20
10
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
57
62.3
58.3
ELL
18.8
Math
0
19.3
16.7
Reading
Writing
Not ELL
Percent of Students Performing at Goal on the 20122013 Third Grade CMT by Eligiblity for Free Lunch
100
85.7
80
60
40
59.4
37.6
27.9
63.3
38
Eligible
Not Eligible
20
0
Math
Reading
Writing
This data clearly shows that Danbury has a very wide Achievement Gap between White and Asian
students and lower-income and ELL students. It tells our community that much more work needs to be
done to support those students so that they can catch up with their peers and go on to future school
success.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 38
The Story Behind the Readiness for School Statistics in Danbury
Why are so many students performing below the state averages on the CMT in Danbury? What factors
hinder Danbury pupil achievement in the early grades?
Student Mobility. A high rate of student mobility has been cited by many of Danbury’s teachers and school
administrators as one of the biggest challenges they face when trying to improve student performance.
When students move from school to school, both within the district and to other surrounding districts,
their academic performance suffers. Research shows that students who move frequently from school to
school are at greater risk of academic and behavioral problems (Hartmann, 2002), with the most negative
effects of geographic mobility found at earlier grade levels (Ingersoll, 1989). Research shows that a number
of factors contribute to high mobility rates, including race and low income; these factors are consistent
with Danbury demographics.
Absenteeism. High rates of absenteeism also plague the Danbury School District, so much so that reducing
absenteeism has become one of the primary focus areas for the Danbury District Enhancement Plan for
2009–2014. The District is targeting a 15% decrease over 3 years in the number of students with 10 or
more absences from school. As with mobility, absenteeism rates tend to be higher in low-income and urban
districts, such as Danbury. Currently, 16% of Danbury Public School students are chronically absent
(missing 10% or more of the school year). (Source: CT State Department of Education.)
Students Do Not Have Mastery of the English Language. Currently, 18.7% of the Danbury student
population is not fluent in English. The Connecticut Mastery Test Achievement (CMT) and the Connecticut
Academic Performance Test (CAPT) data reflect the challenges these students face academically. For the
2013 Third Grade CMTs, only 25% of English Language Learners are reading at the proficient level; only
37.6% of ELL students performed at or above goal in Math. The performance of ELL students seems to
decline in the higher grades, as reported in Danbury’s CAPT scores. For the 2011 CAPT, only 7.9% of ELL
students were at or above proficient in reading; only 11.3% were at or above proficient in math. The
District recognizes the importance of improving the performance of ELL students, and has made it one of
the primary focuses the District Enhancement Plan.
Lack of Continuity Between the Preschool and Early Elementary Grade Curriculum. With Danbury’s
children receiving preschool experiences in wide variety of settings (School Readiness, state-funded, Head
Start, and licensed and unlicensed family child care), kindergarten teachers are welcoming students into
their classrooms who have an extremely broad range of skills and abilities. Greater alignment between
what is being taught in preschools and the expectations for student achievement in the early elementary
grades can make the transition to kindergarten a more positive experience for both students and their
teachers.
Families Are Unable to Support Educational Efforts at Home. As discussed in “Parenting That Supports
Healthy Development and Learning,” parents play a major role in determining a child’s school success. Yet
many parents may not be able to support their children’s academics as much as they would like. Parents
with lower educational levels may not have the language and mathematics skills needed to help their
children with homework. In Danbury this may be a strong contributing factor in poor student performance;
25% of births are to mothers who have not completed high school.
The fact that 38.4% of the district’s students come from homes where English is not the primary
language also has huge repercussions for how well parents can support their children. Parents who speak a
language other than English may not only have difficulty helping their children with homework, they may
not be able to communicate with the schools about their students’ needs. Because of language barriers,
transportation, and irregular working hours, parents may be unaware of, or unable to participate in, Open
Houses and parent-teacher conferences. Information gathered from the Danbury Parent Survey showed
that parents pay attention to the information they receive from schools, but they would like more
information about how the schools work, and they would like more information in their native languages.
The Danbury school staff may not be optimally trained to handle the broad spectrum of cultures their
students come from, with only 9.2% minority staff in a district with a 48.1% minority population.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 39
Other potential factors influencing student achievement that we do not now have data on are:
1. Some students have undiagnosed learning disabilities
2. The curriculum is not appropriate for the individual or population (too academic versus
social/emotional), or does not address cultural differences.
3. Quality of instruction is not adequate. Recently, through the Danbury Public School District’s
Enhancement plan, curriculum taught across the district for kindergarten has improved along with
other procedures.
How Do We Turn the Curve for Danbury?
Breaking down the barriers to family support could have a dramatic effect on Danbury’s student
achievement. All parents need to feel that they are valuable participants in the educational process, no
matter what their education level is or what language they speak. Parents need to be engaged in their
children’s education right from the start, with outreach efforts beginning at the kindergarten registration
process. Schools need to make efforts to provide parent communication in Spanish and Portuguese, and
they need to create a welcoming atmosphere for all families. When all parents feel comfortable entering the
schools and connecting with teachers, their children’s performance will improve. Parent education about
the effects of mobility and absenteeism could also help to play a role in these detriments to student
performance.
Preschool teachers and teachers in the early grades need to communicate and work to ensure
continuity between curriculum. More training of preschool and kindergarten teachers on the Preschool
Assessment Framework, Kindergarten curriculum and assessment and the Kindergarten Entrance
Inventory will help to put those who teach our youngest students on the same page and create a more
consistent learning environment for the students.
Framework for Action in the Strategic Area of
Early School Success:
The plan will address early school success through the following three strategies:
Early School Success
Strategy 1: Ensure Continuity of Curriculum Between PreK and Kindergarten
Substrategy: Ensure that all PreK and Kindergarten teachers are knowledgeable about both curriculums.
Action
Responsible Party
Financing
Timeline
Develop a PreK/K Crosswalk
School Readiness
Grant from United Way
Guides developed by
training program utilizing the Coordinator, Education
($21,000) and State
June 2012
services of a consultant.
Connection, Consultant
Funding
Provide crosswalk training to
School Readiness
Grant from United Way
Training 3 times a year,
center-based staff and
Coordinator, Education
(part of $21,000 above*)
beginning in Fall 2012
parents
Connection, Danbury
and state funding
Public Schools, and School * 5 transition nights also
Readiness Council
included in UW Funds
Members
Align appropriate training
Danbury School Readiness Foundation Grant,
Ongoing training
opportunities based on Early
Coordinator and School
Danbury Public Schools,
provided throughout the
Learning Development
Readiness Council, Head
Quality Enhancement
years.
Standars and Common Core
Start, Childcare Centers,
Funds
to provide a continuum of
and Families Network of
learning from PreK to grade 3 Western CT
to meet the child’s needs and
community needs.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 40
Substrategy: Prevent summer learning loss in low-income students.
Action
Responsible Party
Financing
St
Expand summer learning
Danbury Public Schools
21 Century Grant,
programs offered through
and Danbury Children
Danbury Public Schools,
Danbury Public Schools to
First
and private foundation
add one additional
neighborhood school and
expand the length of the
program from four weeks to
six weeks.
Timeline
Beginning in summer of
2014
Add a parent education
component that includes the
Lee y serás family literacy
program.
Substrategy: Provide information to family child care providers on the PreK and K curriculums
Action
Responsible Party
Financing
Timeline
Create modified crosswalk
Consultant, PreK an K
United Way ($21,000
Completed spring 2012
information that captures the teachers, Danbury Public
grant)
most essential pieces of the
Schools, School Readiness
PreK and K curriculum
Providers, Head Start, and
Private Providers
Develop a plan and schedule
School Readiness
Begin spring 2012
to train all family child care
Coordinator and
providers in Danbury
Consultant
Strategy 2: Ensure that Schools Are Family Friendly
Substrategy: Create uniform data collection system for all elementary schools on parent involvement indicators
Actions
Responsible Party
Funding
Timeline
Develop methods and create
Danbury Public School
Danbury Public Schools
Beginning in fall 2014
schedule for collecting
District, PTOs, School
information at the
Governance Council,
elementary level on:
School Readiness/Early
1. Parent-Teacher
School Success Team
Conferences
2. Kindergarten
Orientation
Attendance
3. Elementary School
Open House
Attendance
(including supports
for non-English
speaking parents)
Get ideas for data collection
from PTOs.
Substrategy: Ensure coordination of parent-friendly kindergarten transition process.
Performance Measures: % of kindergarten students who were registered for kindergarten by May 1.
Actions
Responsible Party
Funding
Timeline
Develop Kindergarten
Danbury School Readiness Funding through the
January–May each year
Registration strategies that
Council, Early Childhood
Danbury Public Schools
and ongoing as capacity
enable working families to
Providers, ESL Reception
and for the Literacy
allows.
participate:
Center, Danbury Public
Caravan
1. Use the Literacy
Schools, Literacy Caravan
Caravan, with staff
Staff, School
trained on
Readiness/Early School
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 41
kindergarten
Success Team Members,
registration, go to
Agencies that serve
centers, and
families, WIC,
community and
Supermarkets, etc.
neighborhood sites
to register children.
2. Use community
locations such as the
Library and/ or
create an event each
Spring.
3. Continue to provide
bi-lingual
registration
documents/
translators at each
school to allow nonEnglish speaking
families to
participate.
Create media campaign to let School Readiness/Early
Beginning in 2015
parents know about
School Success Team,
kindergarten registration that Danbury Public Schools
uses the municipality,
and Robo Calls, Statebusinesses, faith
Funded Centers, and the
organizations, and local social Local Media.
service providers
Substrategy: Ensure that schools are prepared to welcome a diverse population of children and families.
Actions
Responsible Party
Funding
Timeline
nd
Continue to embed
Danbury Public Schools
Danbury Public Schools
2 Grade Teachers:
components of cultural
ESL and Bilingual
Budget with Title 1
2011
sensitivity training into
Department with support Funding to 4 elementary
Grades K and 1: 2012–
Shelter Instruction
from the Center for
schools
2014
Observation Protocol (SIOP)
Applied Linguistics
training to staff at all levels.
(SIOP supports academic
success for children who
speak languages other than
English). Teachers are trained
and coaches embedded to
provide support.
Develop a plan to provide
Danbury Public Schools
Danbury Public School
Planning begins in the
cultural sensitivity training to ELS and Bilingual
budget for staff time and fall of 2013
staff at all levels.
Program, Danbury
planning. Funds and/or
Identify key players important Children First, and
in-kind from potential
to the success and
Western CT State
corporate partners. Title
implementation of the plan.
University
1 is a potential source.
Form a Team to develop the
plan.
Investigate how teacher
Danbury Public Schools
When capacity allows.
training programs educate
ESL and Bilingual
future teachers on best
Department
practices for English Language
Learners.
1) Explore possibility of
creating a TESOL
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 42
option at WestConn
2) Build on knowledge
of successful TESOL
program at Fairfield
University, which
currently provides
for DPSD teachers,
and with some
fellowships.
Continue School District
efforts to appropriately
service English Language
Learners:
1) For children, the Schools
comply with state and
federal laws as the
budget allows.
2) For adults/parents,
provide English classes,
GED, and acculturation
programs
3) Use existing programs
such as People
Empowering People
(PEP) and Lee y seras
(LYS), include or add
intergenerational
workshop to elementary
school parents whose
first language is not
English. These include
parents and adults in the
household of the
student.
Provide more information to
parents about how schools
work and support the
acculturation process by
continuing the following:
1) ESL Reception Center
staff meet one-on-one
with parents and help to
connect parents with
resources, such as the
Free Lunch Program
2) Kindergarten Orientation
for ESL Parents is
provided annually
3) Orientation at individual
schools brings parents
together
Danbury Public Schools
ESL and Bilingual
Department, Adult
Education and
Community Agencies,
Community-based
Agencies, and Faith
Communities
$44,000/yearly for PEP
and LYS secured by
Danbury Children First
and/or Danbury Public
School District.
Partial funding through
the state for PEP.
Danbury Public Schools
ESL and Bilingual
Department, Family
Literacy Center,
Elementary School Staff,
Family Resource Center
Staff
.8 Danbury Public School
ESL and Bilingual Staff
Person
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 43
Conclusion:
A collective community responsibility will ensure that all Danbury children aged birth through
eight are healthy and ready for school and lifelong learning. Every sector has a part to play:
Parents………can seek out and utilize the resources they need to provide a loving, stable, and
nurturing home environment that supports learning and safety.
Early childhood programs……can commit to providing high quality experiences for young
children and seek to continually incorporate best practices.
Legislators……can listen to their constituents and work to provide local and state fiscal support to
those programs and services that significantly improve positive outcomes for young children and
their families.
Pediatricians………can recognize their potential to connect families to many other needed
supports and services and use their influence to sensitively encourage families to adopt healthy
lifestyles.
Businesses……can create work environments that are supportive to employees with children
through their policies and practices.
Community leaders………can act as champions to support the various services and programs that
our community needs.
Schools……can respond to the needs of their diverse students and families while holding high
standards for achievement and welcome families as partners in their child’s education.
Social service providers……can become a more coordinated network of support for all families in
Danbury.
Faith based organizations……can continue to support families in many and varied ways while
collaborating with other service providers.
Behavioral health providers……can encourage prevention efforts for families and respond to the
diverse families and children who are in need of their services.
The Promise for Children Partnership is excited to act as a catalyst and facilitator of action
for Danbury to achieve our result statement!
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 44
Appendix A: Promise for Children Membership
Promise for Children Partnership Executive Advisory Board (as of April 2014)
Name
David Arconti
Mayor Mark Boughton
Dan Carter
Gene Eriquez
Juleen Flanigan
Robert Godfrey
Linda Kosko
Caroline LaFleur
Kim Morgan
Jim Maloney
Dr. Sal Pascarella
James Schmotter
Dianne Yamin
Affiliation
State Representative
City of Danbury, Mayor
State Representative
Fund Development Professional, Former Mayor
Education Connection
State Representative
Danbury Children First
Promise for Children Partnership Director
United Way of Western Connecticut
Connecticut Institute for Communities, Inc.
Danbury Public Schools – Superintendent
President, Western Connecticut State University
Family Court Judge, Chamber of Commerce
Promise for Children Steering Committee (as of April 2014)
Name
Monet Borione
Eileen Costello
Robin Eckstein
Gene Eriquez
Juleen Flanigan
Paula Grayson
Jennifer Hallissey
Sue Giglio
Patti Keckeisen
Linda Kosko
Caroline LaFleur
Anna Maloney
Anne Mead
Dr. Sal Pascarella
Colby Rutledge
Jane Ryan
Affiliation
United Way of Western CT, Imagination Library Coordinator
Danbury School Readiness Coordinator
Parent
Fund Development Consultant, former Mayor of Danbury
Education Connection – Director of Early Childhood Services
Danbury Public Schools – Director of Pupil services
United Way of Western Connecticut – VP of Education
Families Network of Western Connecticut – Executive Director
Parent
Danbury Children First – Executive Director
Promise for Children Director
Connecticut Institute For Communities
Danbury Public Schools – Coordinator of Early Childhood Programs
Danbury Public Schools – Superintendent
Community Coordinator – Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership
Danbury School Readiness Council
Promise for Children: Parenting Team (as of April 2014)
Name
Carina Almeida
Friorella Almaguer
Lori Capri
Estela Camacho
Robin Eckstein
Sherri Edgar
Jessica Gomez
Karil Greaves
Ibel Hartlett
Angelina Hernandez
Tanesah Hutchins
Patti Keckeisen
Linda Kosko
Betsy Malone
Miguelina Matista
Affiliation
Morris St. School Family Resource Center
Families Network of Western CT
Families Network of Western CT
Morris St. School Family Resource Center
Parent
CT Parent Advocacy Center
Parent
Coordinator of Young Lives program
Volunteer with Young Lives program
Parent
Parent
Parent
Danbury Children First – Executive Director
Community Volunteer and Birth to Three provider
Parent
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 45
Anne Mead
Jennifer Netter
Angelina Stojakovic
Karen Tensa
Danbury Public Schools – Administrator of Early Childhood Education and
Extended Learning Programs
Parent
Parent
Parent
Promise for Children Health Team: Health Team (as of April 2013)
Name
Alecia Andrews
Dennis Bieber
Angelica Camacho
Ann Marie Evans
Maureen Farrell
Juleen Flanigan
Sue Giglio
Adele Gordon
Judy Handwerker
Catia Monaco
Dr. Veronica Ron-Priola
Patty Sghia
Eva Tan
Affiliation
United Way of Western Connecticut – VP Health
Family and Children’s Aid
Community Health Center of Danbury
WIC
Regional YMCA
Education Connection – Director of Early Childhood Services
Families Network of Western Connecticut
Community Health Center of Danbury
Global Kid Fit
CIFC Community Health Center
Danbury Hospital Seifert & Ford Clinic
Parent
Samaritan Center
Promise for Children Early School Success and School Readiness Team (as of April 2014)
Name
Claudia Anderson
Monica Bevilacqua
Eileen Costello
Juleen Flanigan
Augusto Gomes
Jennifer Hallissey
Patti Keckeisen
Linda Kosko
Regina Lima
Anne Mead
Mark Meyer
Jennifer Pane
Dr. Sal Pascarella
Jane Ryan
Mini Santosh
Karen Thompson
Kara Watson-Wanzer
Affiliation
Danbury Public Schools – Retired
Head Start of Northern Fairfield County
Danbury School Readiness
Education Connection, Director of Early Childhood Services
Danbury Public Schools – Coordinator of Bilingual/ESL
United Way of Western Connecticut – VP, Education
Parent
Danbury Children First
Mill Ridge School Family Resource Center
Danbury Public Schools – Coordinator, Early Childhood
Hudson Country Montessori
Grassy Plain YMCA
Danbury Public Schools – Superintendent
Community Volunteer
Action Early Learning Center
Interfaith Early Learning Center
Danbury Public Schools
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 46
Appendix B: Governance and Accountability
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 47
Executive Advisory Board
Role:
 Publicly promote the vision and the mission of the Partnership.
 Help to garner or provide direct financial resources to support the infrastructure and/or
strategies of the Partnership.
 Leverage or influence in-kind institutional resources to support the infrastructure and/or
strategies of the Partnership.
 Work with the Steering Committee to help to set the strategic direction of the Partnership.
 Review and provide advice on the annual priorities of the Partnership, as set forth by the
Steering Committee.
 Demonstrate a familiarity with, and provide endorsement of, the Partnership’s Strategic Plan.
 Provide public visibility for the Partnership (including “branding” on their organizations’
websites and collateral materials).
 Be “consumers” of the data on early childhood provided by the Partnership and other sources.
Use that data to provide informed advice on strategies, as well as to promote awareness of the
challenges facing Danbury’s young children.
Membership:
The Executive Advisory Board will comprise 12-15 key community leaders who are representatives of a
variety of institutions and sectors that touch the lives of Danbury’s families. Ideally, membership would
include top-level representation from:
 City of Danbury
 Danbury Hospital
 Danbury Public Schools
 Western Connecticut State University
 Health Clinic Provider
 Childcare and/or Head Start provider
 Danbury Library
 State and local government and/or legislators
 Representatives from state agencies such as Dept. of Children and Families, Dept. of Social
Services, Dept. of Public Health, and Dept. of Mental Health and Addiction services.
 Danbury Housing Authority
 Businesses and employers of parents
 The Faith Community, including faith communities that serve a variety of ethnicities
 Multicultural Center
 Ethnic organizations and clubs (i.e. India Association)
 Representative from Parent Leadership Programs, such as PLTI, PEP, or Parent SEE
Meetings:
Meets quarterly.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 48
Steering Committee
Role:













Work with Executive Advisory Board to set the strategic direction of the Partnership.
Approve content and oversee implementation of the Strategic Plan.
Ensure alignment of Strategic Plan to vision and mission of Partnership.
Identify priorities for current/upcoming fiscal year.
Review trends in the Early Childhood arena to keep the Strategic Plan current and advise the
Executive Advisory Board.
Garner and/or leverage direct financial and in-kind resources to support the Partnership and
the Strategic Plan.
Endorse funding proposals and applications that come from the Partnership directly to support
the strategies in the Strategic Plan and/or the infrastructure of the Partnership.
Oversee the sustainability of the Partnership and its organizational operations (including
financing, staffing, facilities, and community representation).
Collect and analyze data to revise and update strategies in Strategic Plan as needed (including
data collected by Teams for the actions they implement).
Set data development agenda (including Headline Indicators, Secondary Indicators, and
Performance Measures).
Provide oversight, guidance, and support to working Teams.
Ensure accountability of funded partners by collecting outcome measures, as defined in
Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs).
Approve annual budgets and quarterly financial statements.
Membership:
The Steering Committee includes key partners who impact the health, development, and education of
Danbury’s children, ages birth through eight. It MUST include the following:
 Chair or Co-Chairs of the Partnership
 Chairs or Co-Chairs of the working Teams
 Director of the Partnership
 Parent(s), particularly parents of children ages birth through eight
 Danbury School Readiness Coordinator
 Representative(s) from Danbury Public Schools
 Representative(s) from Health Care Provider(s)
 Representative(s) from Family Support Provider(s)
 Provider of Early Childhood Services (non-school readiness) or representative from the
Directors’ Group
 Representative from Fiscal Agent (United Way of Western CT)
 Liaison from the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 49
The Steering Committee MAY ALSO include representatives from the following:
 City of Danbury
 Higher educators in the field of Early Childhood and/or Elementary Education
 Danbury Library
 State Agencies (including the Dept. of Children and Families, the Dept. of Social Services, the
Dept. of Public Health, and/or Dept. of Mental Health and Addiction Services).
 Funders
 Business Community
 Faith Community
Meetings:
Meets monthly.
Working Teams
Role:
 Identifies strategies and advises Steering Committee on content and implementation of the
Strategic Plan.
 Proposes programs and services to implement those strategies.
 Determines funding needed to implement the strategies.
 Identifies performance measures to gauge the effectiveness of those strategies.
 Gathers data relevant to the strategies and performance measures.
 Reports on progress in implementing strategies.
 Advocates for and supports Strategic Plan within their organizations and helps to promote
Strategic Plan to the broader community.
Membership:
While each Team should include experts in their particular area of the Strategic Plan (e.g. Health Team
should include doctors, School Team should include educators, etc.), “cross pollination” should also
occur—so that parents are represented on all teams, school personnel are on all teams, health
providers are on all teams, etc.
Health Team Membership
 Parents
 Representatives from health clinics, pediatric private practices, and ob/gyn providers
 Oral health providers, particularly those who accept Medicaid
 Behavioral Health providers, including Family and Children’s Aid and others
 Representative(s) from Danbury Hospital
 Representative(s) from WIC
 Representatives from School Based Health Centers
 Preschool providers
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 50
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


VP of Health from United Way
Representative of the Regional YMCA
Representatives from State Dept. of Children and Families (DCF) and Dept. of Public Health
(DPH)
Representative from City of Danbury Dept. of Health
Representative(s) from family support providers, including Families Network of Western CT,
Danbury Children First, and Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center
Parenting Team Membership
 Parents, particularly parents of young children
 Representative(s) from family support providers, including Families Network of Western CT,
Danbury Children First, and Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center
 Danbury Public Schools Family Resource Center
 Danbury Public Schools Family Literacy Center
 Preschool Providers
 Educators, grades K—3.
 Health Providers
 Representatives from State Dept. of Children and Families (DCF), Dept. of Social Services (DSS),
Dept. of Public Health (DPH), etc.
School Readiness/Early School Success Team Membership
 Preschool providers
 School Readiness Coordinator
 Educators in kindergarten through grade three
 Literacy specialists
 School Administrators
 Parents
 Health providers
 Family Support Providers
Meetings:
Ideally, Working Teams should have standing meetings at least 4 times a year. (Monthly except
perhaps during summer months, depending on need.)
Promise for Children Partnership Director
Responsibilities
Partnership Coordination, Administration, and Data Collection

Oversee the planning and coordination of meetings of the Executive Advisory Board, Steering
Committee, and Working Teams, as well as subcommittees. Supervise the Community
Coordinator in tasks related to the planning and coordination of those meetings. Related tasks
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 51
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

include: setting meeting agendas; writing meeting minutes; notifying meeting participants
about meetings at least one week in advance; attending meetings.
Provide oversight of funded projects (e.g. PAT Home Visitation, Health Data Institute, etc.).
Supervise Community Coordinator and oversee work of consultants.
Develop Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with Partners.
Attend Technical Assistance and Peer Exchange meetings offered by Graustein Memorial Fund.
Create Partnership budget and budget narrative, with advice and consent from Steering
Committee.
Seek Steering Committee approval for off-budget expenditures that exceed $2,500.
Oversee Partnership finances (including writing check requests, etc.) and act as liaison with
fiduciary agent on Partnership finances.
Act as a liaison to the Campaign For Grade Level Reading.
Compile data and create graphics for annual Community Report Card on Young Children, with
assistance of Community Coordinator.
Grant Writing and Fund Development

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
Research and write grant proposals for implementation of activities in Strategic Plan.
Complete grant reports to funders.
Act as liaison and make presentations to potential funders.
Support work of Fund Development Professional.
Communications and Outreach

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Coordinate publicity of the Partnership, including writing and disseminating press releases and
e-newsletters.
Attend community meetings to represent the interests of children ages birth through 8 and
report on Partnership activities (including Family Focus Partnership, Coalition for Healthy Kids,
School Readiness Council).
Help to coordinate outreach activities of Parenting Team, including Mind in the Making
workshops, Help Me Grow Lunches, and Ages and Stages Outreach Campaign and supervise
Community Coordinator in those activities.
Disseminate information to the Partnership and the community about trends, activities, and
events related to early childhood issues, including events and activities at the local, state, and
national levels.
Attend community outreach activities to distribute information about the Partnership and early
learning.
Update website.
Oversee printing of brochures, Facebook flyers, etc.
Promise for Children Partnership Community Coordinator
Responsibilities
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 52
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Assist in meeting planning, setting meeting agendas, preparing and copying documents for
meetings, taking meeting minutes, and coordinating facilities and refreshments.
Assist Partnership Coordinator in community outreach and parent engagement activities, and in
planning a yearly Early Childhood Fair.
Assist with website and other communications tasks, as needed
Assist with special projects, such as Help Me Grow Outreach campaign.
Assist in data collection to ensure accountability to funders and to report community-wide data
on young children.
Assist Partnership Coordinator in preparing grant proposals and reports.
Participate in professional development opportunities and capacity building opportunities
offered by funders, as appropriate.
Perform translations and interpretations as needed.
Promise for Children Partnership Fund Development Professional
Responsibilities
• Develop and execute a fundraising plan for the Partnership, with specific goals and timeline.
Develop and execute long-term and short-term plans that focus on diversified revenue streams.
This would include developing a list of:
High net worth community givers
Businesses to be solicited for funding and in-kind contributions
Foundations that provide funding for early childhood programs and partnerships
•
•
•
•
•
Secure financial support from the above to fund the strategies outlined in our Strategic Plan
and to provide financial support for our Partnership’s infrastructure (including securing
resources for administrative support, data collection and analysis, and communications and
messaging).
Initiate, develop, and maintain ongoing relationships with major donors.
Plan and oversee fundraising events .
Work with Partnership staff and partners to identify Executive Advisory Board candidates who
have the skills, expertise, spheres of influence, and community connections we need to
advance our agenda for young children in Danbury.
Identify and write grants to support the Partnership’s strategies and infrastructure, when
appropriate.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership Strategic Plan / April 2014
page 53
Appendix C: By-Laws
ARTICLE I: NAME, MISSION, and VISION
SECTION I: NAME. The name of the organization shall be Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership,
henceforth referred to as the Partnership, serving the City of Danbury, Connecticut.
SECTION II: MISSION. The mission of the Partnership is to build an integrated early childhood system in
Danbury, one in which healthcare providers, early care and education providers, the schools, and
family support agencies work closely with parents and each other to create the best outcomes for
Danbury’s children.
SECTION III: VISION. The vision of the Partnership is: All Danbury Children Ages Birth Through Eight Are
Healthy and Ready for School and Lifelong Learning.
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
SECTION I: STRATEGIC PLAN. The Partnership shall create and work to implement a Strategic Plan
designed to further the Mission and Vision of the organization to create the best outcomes for
Danbury’s young children.
SECTION II: DANBURY CITY OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD. The Partnership shall operate the City of
Danbury’s Office of Early Childhood.
SECTION III: SCHOOL READINESS COUNCIL. The Partnership shall work as one entity with the Danbury
School Readiness Council to promote compliance with Section 10-16 O-R of the CT General Statue
concerning School Readiness and Child Day Care and all subsequent amendments. The School
Readiness Council shall act as the School Readiness/Early School Success Working Team of the
Partnership.
SECTION IV: PROVIDE DATA. The Partnership shall collect and report to the community on data related
to the health, education, and parenting of Danbury’s children ages birth through 8.
SECTION V: ENGAGE PARENTS. The Partnership shall empower and encourage parents to be leaders
and active participants in the work of the Partnership and play key roles on Partnership Committees
and Working Teams.
SECTION VI: ADVOCACY. The Partnership members shall promote and advocate positive early
childhood outcomes at the local, state, and federal levels, as capacity allows.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
SECTION I: EXECUTIVE ADVISORY BOARD. The Executive Advisory Board shall publicly promote the
vision and the mission of the Danbury City Office of Early Childhood and the Partnership, help to garner
or leverage resources to support the infrastructure and/or Strategic Plan of the Partnership, and work
with the Steering Committee to help set the strategic direction of the Partnership. Members shall
include at least 10 key community leaders representing entities such as, but not limited to, the City of
Danbury, Danbury Public Schools, Danbury Hospital, Western CT State University, the Danbury Library,
and the Partnership’s Collaborative Sponsor, as well as state and local legislators, small and large
businesses, representatives from community agencies that serve families, ethnic and faith-based
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organizations, and graduates of Parent Leadership Programs. Voting members shall be nominated by
the Steering Committee, Working Teams, and the other members of the Executive Advisory Board.
SECTION II: STEERING COMMITTEE. The Steering Committee shall comprise at least 10 but no more
than 20 members. Membership of the Steering Committee must include, but is not limited to, the
following:
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Chair or Co-Chairs of the Partnership
Chairs or Co-Chairs of the Working Teams
Director of the Partnership
Parents, particularly Danbury parents of children ages birth through eight
Danbury School Readiness Coordinator
Representative(s) from Danbury Public Schools
Representative(s) from Health Care Provider(s)
Representative(s) from Family Support Provider(s)
Provider of Early Childhood Services
Representative from Collaborative/Fiscal Agent
Liaison from Graustein Memorial Fund
The Steering Committee shall:
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Work with the Executive Advisory board to set the strategic direction of the Partnership.
Approve content and oversee implementation of the Strategic Plan.
Ensure alignment of the Strategic Plan to the vision and mission of the Partnership.
Garner and/or leverage direct financial and in-kind resources to support the Partnership and
the Strategic Plan.
Endorse funding proposals and applications that come from the Partnership directly to support
the strategies in the Strategic Plan and/or the infrastructure of the Partnership.
Oversee the sustainability of the Partnership and its organizational operations, including
financing, staff, facilities, and community representation.
Collect and analyze data to revise and update strategies in the Strategic Plan as needed.
Provide oversight, guidance, and support to Working Teams.
Approve annual budgets and quarterly financial statements.
Approve Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with Partnership Members.
The majority of members shall constitute a quorum. The Steering Committee shall meet monthly. The
Chair or Co-Chairs of the Steering Committee shall be elected based on the procedures in Article IV:
Elections and Voting. The Chair or Co-Chairs of the Steering Committee shall preside at Steering
Committee meetings.
SECTION III: WORKING TEAMS. The Partnership shall include working teams on 1) Health and
Behavioral Health; 2) Parenting That Supports the Healthy Growth and Development of Children; 3)
School Readiness/Early School Success. Working Teams identify strategies and advise the Steering
Committee on the content and implementation of the Strategic Plan. Working Teams include experts in
their particular area of the Strategic Plan as well as parents and representatives from other sectors of
the community. A majority of members shall represent a quorum for each Working Team. Working
Teams shall have standing meetings at least four (4) times each year. Chairs of Working Teams shall be
elected based on the procedures in Article IV: Elections and Voting.
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SECTION IV: NOMINATIONS. Nominations for membership and chairs or co-chairs of the Executive
Advisory Board, Steering Committee, or Working Teams shall be made by the members of those
groups.
SECTION V: TERMS OF SERVICE. The Chair or Co-Chairs of the Executive Advisory Board, Steering
Committee, and Working Teams may serve for a term of 2 years, for a maximum of 3 terms, with
special extensions approved by a vote of the Steering Committee. Elections for Chair and Co-chairs
shall follow procedures described in Article IV, Elections and Voting.
SECTION VI: RESIGNATION OR REMOVAL. Resignation of Chairs or Co-Chairs of the Executive Advisory
Board, Steering Committee, or Working Teams shall be made in writing to the Steering Committee. If
no effective date is stated, the resignation shall be effective upon receipt. Any member, Chair, or CoChair whose conduct is detrimental to the Partnership may be removed by vote of the Steering
Committee at any meeting upon vote of two-thirds (2/3) of members present and voting. Notice of the
proposed removal shall be given to the member in question at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting
at which the matter will be vote upon by the Steering Committee.
SECTION VII: STANDING AND/OR SPECIAL COMMITTEES. The Executive Advisory Board, Steering
Committee, and Working Teams may create and dissolve Standing and/or Special Committees to
perform specific, limited, functions on behalf of the Partnership. The creation and/or dissolution of
Standing or Special Committees will be made by a simple majority vote.
ARTICLE IV: ELECTIONS AND VOTING
SECTION I: BALLOTS. A majority of ballots cast shall be necessary for election of the Chairs or Co-Chairs
of the Executive Advisory Board, Steering Committee and/or Working Teams. Elections of Chair and CoChairs shall be made at the last meeting of the fiscal year.
SECTION III: MAJORITY. All votes shall be determined by a simple majority of those members present
and voting. Each official member of the Executive Advisory Board, Steering Committee, and Workgroup
Teams has one vote. The majority of members of all committees shall represent a quorum. No member
may vote by proxy or otherwise delegate the right to vote. Voting by phone is allowed if the member
has participated in the discussion preceding the vote.
ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS
SECTION I: FREQUENCY. The Executive Advisory Board shall meet quarterly. The Steering Committee
shall meet monthly. The Working Teams shall meet at least four (4) times per year. Chairs and CoChairs of committees shall preside over meetings.
SECTION III: NOTICES AND AGENDAS. Dates for Executive Advisory Board and Steering Committee
Meetings shall be set at least 21 days in advance. Notices of all Executive Advisory Board, Steering
Committee, and Workgroup Team meetings will be sent via email to members at least one week in
advance. A written agenda will be provided for each Executive Advisory Board, Steering Committee,
and Workgroup Team meeting and will be sent via email with the meeting notice.
SECTION III: MINUTES. Minutes will be taken at all Executive Advisory Board, Steering Committee and
Workgroup Team meetings and will include a list of attendees at each meeting. Approval of meeting
minutes will be made by a simple majority vote at the next regular meeting. When possible, minutes
will be sent in at least five (5) days in advance of meetings for review by committee members.
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SECTION IV: MEETING PROCEDURES. Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall be the authority if
the matter is not covered in these by-laws.
ARTICLE V: DIRECTOR AND STAFF
SECTION I: APPOINTMENT. The Steering Committee shall appoint a Director of the Partnership as the
lead operational employee of the Partnership. The Director shall be an employee of the Collaborative
Sponsor of the Partnership, and shall report directly to the Chair or Co-Chairs of the Partnership.
SECTION II: DUTIES. The Director shall be responsible for the administrative management of the
Partnership and perform duties as directed by the Executive Advisory Board and Steering Committee,
including the supervision of additional staff and consultants to the Partnership when necessary.
ARTICLE VI: COLLABORATIVE SPONSOR
SECTION I: COLLABORATIVE SPONSOR DEFINITION. The Collaborative Sponsor shall be a not-for-profit
501(c)(3) organization. The Collaborative Sponsor accepts responsibility for the fiscal support required
to sustain the work of the Partnership.
SECTION II: DUTIES. The Collaborative Sponsor will:
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Receive and manage grant resources at the direction of the Steering Committee and Director.
Provide the Steering Committee with staffing and related services necessary for the support of
the Partnership’s operations.
Provide fiscal reports to the Steering Committee on a quarterly and annual basis.
Provide fiscal reports needed for grant reporting purposes to grantees of the Partnership.
ARTICLE VII: FINANCES
SECTION I: FISCAL YEAR. The fiscal year shall be from July 1 to June 30.
SECTION II: BUDGET. The Steering Committee shall approve the annual budget and budget narrative as
developed by the Director and members of the Steering Committee. Changes to the budget exceeding
$2,500 shall be voted on at Steering Committee meetings, requiring a majority vote of members
present.
ARTICLE VIII: CONFLICT OF INTEREST
SECTION I: CONFLICT OF INTEREST. When a voting member of the Partnership has a personal financial
interest in any matter coming before the Partnership, the affected person shall 1) fully disclose the
nature of the interest; and 2) withdraw from discussion, lobbying, and voting on the matter.
ARTICLE IX: BY-LAWS
SECTION I: AMENDMENT. By-Laws may be amended or revised at Steering Committee meetings,
provided there is a quorum present and there is a two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote. Notice of such as
proposed amendment or revision shall be provided to each member of the Steering Committee no less
than ten (10) days prior to said Steering Committee meeting.
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CERTIFICATE OF ADOPTION OF BY-LAWS
I do hereby certify that these By-Laws of Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership were approved by
the voting members on December 9, 2013, and do now constitute a complete copy of the By-Laws of
the Partnership, superseding any previously adopted By-Laws and amendments.
Signed
Danbury Promise for Children Co-Chair
Dated this
9
day of
December , 2013
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