Gary Johnson of the Milford United Way, Keynote Speaker Janice Gruendel, Valley United Way President Jack Walsh and David Nee President of the Graustein Foundation shared some thoughts prior to the beginning of the session.

The public had an opportunity to share their thoughts on early childhood education at a “Listening Forum on Early Childhood Education” held on Wednesday, September 27  at Pitney Bowes in Shelton. The Forum was sponsored by Valley United Way and the Milford United Way in conjunction with the Discovery Communities of Ansonia, Derby, Milford and Shelton. The purpose of the meeting was to learn more about the priority items that have been developed by the Governor’s Early Childhood Cabinet and to give the public an opportunity to provide feedback for the Cabinet. The Early Childhood Cabinet has been charged by the Governor with developing a strategic plan to ensure that every child in Connecticut enters school ready to learn. The results of the community listening forums will eventually be posted on https://ecforums.communityresultscenter.org/.

Janice Gruendel, a Senior Advisor on Early Childhood for Governor M. Jodi Rell and a Lecturer at the Yale Child Study Center was the Keynote Speaker for the event. Dr. Gruendel was a co-founder of CT Voices for Children and is a part-time Senior Consulting Fellow on youth issues at CT Voices for Children. Following the keynote speech, participants were assigned to facilitated breakout sessions where they were given the opportunity to share their views on all issues related to the priorities developed by the Early Childhood Cabinet. The results from the breakout sessions are being transcribed and forwarded to the Governor's Committee. In addition to Janice Gruendel, other members f the Governor's Early Childhood Cabinet in attendance were David Nee and Susan Sponheimer.

United Ways across the state are helping to coordinate these forums, and Valley United Way and the Milford United Way collaborated to give citizens in the Valley and Milford the opportunity to hear more about the future direction of early childhood education in the state and to have a chance to share their thoughts about the priorities. The Discovery Communities are working with funding from the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund to improve the lives of young children from birth to age eight. The are working to expand the supply and improve the quality of early education, strengthen the connection between early care and elementary education and improve student social, emotional and academic performance.

Planning committee members celebrated a very successful forum at Pitney Bowes!

Valley United Way Home Page