The Connecticut Commission on Children

2012 grad launches Facebook page for parent leaders

2013-04-01T12:06:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to 2012 PLTI graduate Kelly Nealy of West Haven on the launch of her Facebook page, The Parent Leader. Kelly hopes to encourage parental involvement by sharing information on "education, healthcare, government, communities, volunteer opportunities, and events related to children and communities in the New Haven County area" as well as on the state level. Be sure to "like" her!

Kelly has also written a poem inspired by her PLTI experience:

To all who think your voice won't be heard
I will tell you it won't if you don't say a word
There's no mountain too small or too big you can't climb
Nothing is ever a waste of your time
Our children are our future and we need to fight
For anything and everything we feel is right
With each little step you are willing to take
You help make the world a better place
Every voice makes a difference so let others hear
Your concerns, your worries, your story, your fears
Reach for the stars even the ones you can't see
Be The Parent Leader you know you can be.

Our response to Gov. Malloy's plan to consolidate commissions

2013-02-07T14:10:00.003-05:00

In the proposed budget he submitted to the legislature on February 6, Governor Dannel Malloy called for consolidating five legislative commissions—including the Commission on Children—into one. Commission on Children Executive Director Elaine Zimmerman responded by pointing out that the Commission has brought $1.45 into various community programs for every dollar invested in it. Read the rest of her statement here

What We're Reading

2013-02-04T14:09:00.000-05:00

This week's issue is dominated by the legislature's public hearings on the Newtown school shootings.

As President Obama releases gun violence plan, petition drive begins for a national Commission on Children

2013-01-16T17:58:00.001-05:00

Before wading into the oceans of commentary, pro and con, on President Obama's plan to curb gun violence, it might be a good idea to read the plan itself (PDF). Yes, it's 15 pages, but it's a fast 15.

Also today, Save the Children and several other organizations launched an online petition that asks President Obama to create a national Commission on Children. "We cannot stand by and let violence, poverty and other threats become pervasive parts of childhood in America," the petition says. "We need everyone at the table for a national conversation to find bold, new ideas."

Meanwhile, we've finally fixed the search engine of our website! If you come across anything else on the site that needs attention, please alert webmaster Kevin Flood at kevin.flood@cga.ct.gov.

National survey finds child poverty on the rise, in CT and nationally

2011-08-17T17:09:00.001-04:00

The good news: The Annie E. Casey Foundation's 22nd-annual Kids Count data book ranks Connecticut sixth in the nation for overall child well-being. The bad news: We're heading in the wrong direction on several indicators, particularly child poverty, which rose 9 percent between 2000 and 2009. In Hartford, 39 percent of children are in poverty; in New Haven, 31 percent.

Bristol Press reports on the arrival of PLTI in Plymouth

2010-12-20T14:41:00.005-05:00

The Bristol Press has interviewed Commission Executive Director Elaine Zimmerman on the arrival in Plymouth of the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI), the Commission's popular 20-week civics course.

"It’s a democracy school for families," Zimmerman said of PLTI. "It teaches parents how change occurs for children, so parents can use a kind of civic tool kit and participate in a very deep way to improve the health, safety and learning opportunities for children."

Donna Koser, outreach coordinator for the Plymouth Early Childhood Council, told the newspaper she's excited that her town is participating. "This is something we’ve been wanting to bring into Plymouth for a while, but funding wasn’t available," she said. The funding comes in the form of a $20,000 grant arranged through the Commission. Learn more about PLTI | Other PLTI sites

"Reading Readiness Begins Long Before Kindergarten"

2010-12-06T19:05:00.002-05:00

Here are the PowerPoint slides that Commission on Children Executive Director Elaine Zimmerman used last week for a Connecticut Association for Human Services (CAHS) webinar on early reading success. It's got advice for parents, educators, librarians, pediatricians, and the rest of us.

The Commission website has lots more on reading.

Our latest newsletter

2010-11-30T19:33:00.001-05:00

http://www.cga.ct.gov/coc/newsletters/2010-11-29.htm

Our 2011 meeting schedule

2010-11-02T15:47:00.000-04:00

You'll find it here.

Two new board members

2010-10-18T09:06:00.002-04:00

The Commission on Children has two new members: Robert Francis, executive director of the Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership (RYASAP), and Jordan E. Grossman, Ed.D., principal of the Canton Intermediate School in Canton. Their photos have been added to the Members page.

New TBI brochure

2010-10-15T14:52:00.002-04:00

To the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) page of our site (under Connecticut Resources) we've added a PDF version of the new brochure from the Connecticut Family Support Council, "Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in Children with Disabilities and Children with Special Health Care Needs."

There's also a version in Spanish, "Lesión Cerebral Traumática (TBI por sus siglas en inglés) en los Niños con Discapacidad y Niños con Necesidades Especiales de Salud."

Pardon our appearance

2010-09-09T15:15:00.002-04:00

You'll notice that the Commission on Children website has a new look. We hope you like it and find it makes getting around easier. Unfortunately, some of the pages need to be adjusted to the new template -- hence they look slightly screwed up, though still readable. Please bear with us for the next few days while we clean things up. If you see any problems, especially broken links, drop a line to Kevin Flood.

SDE bullying report on our website

2010-04-20T17:33:00.002-04:00

We've posted on our website a 62-page state Department of Education report on anti-bullying efforts in Connecticut. SDE submitted the report in February to comply with Public Act 08-160.

'Emerging Issues for Children' roundtable on Tuesday, April 13

2010-04-06T17:54:00.001-04:00

The next meeting of the Commission on Children will feature a roundtable discussion by lawmakers and others on emerging issues like cyberbullying, the achievement gap, and health care reform. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 13, in Room 1-C of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. Download an agenda (PDF) | Directions

Add seven more towns to those seeking SNAP E&T dollars

2010-03-24T18:11:00.004-04:00

We've added seven central Connecticut towns to our map of communities that have applied for federal funding under the SNAP E&T program, which reimburses 50 cents for every dollar spent on services that provide food stamp recipients with the skills and support services they need to find regular employment. The towns are Chester, Deep River, Durham, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, and Middlefield. Here's the map

Commission on Children meeting on Tuesday

2010-03-10T17:46:00.001-05:00

The Commission on Children will hold its next regular meeting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 16, in the conference room of its offices at 18-20 Trinity Street in Hartford.

View the agenda (PDF)

News conference Thursday by Children in the Recession Task Force

2010-03-02T14:33:00.000-05:00

The task force, formed by House Speaker Chris Donovan, will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. Thursday, in Room 1-B of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, to unveil a bill crafted in response to the public hearings it has been holding around Connecticut.

Task Force home page

Children in the Recession Task Force holding public hearing Saturday in Bridgeport

2010-02-01T18:11:00.002-05:00

The task force, formed by House Speaker Chris Donovan, wants to hear from youths, heads of households, and anyone else with ideas on how to help Connecticut children get through the recession. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, February 6, at Bridgeport City Hall Annex, with sign-ups for testimony beginning at 9:30.

Download this flyer for details (PDF)

Task Force home page

Parent engagement is the focus of Tuesday's Commission meeting

2010-01-11T15:28:00.003-05:00

We'll hear from panelists on the benefits of helping parents to get more involved in civic life. The meeting begins at 10 a.m. in Room 1-D of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. Here's the agenda.

The Connecticut Network (CT-N) plans live coverage. Watch CT-N's website for info on repeat airings and watching the event on your computer.

11/19 meeting of the Speaker's Task Force on Children in the Recession

2009-11-19T18:20:00.001-05:00

The Speaker's Task Force on Children in the Recession held its third meeting on Thursday, November 19, 2009, at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. It took testimony from state and national experts on the following topics:

The State of Working Connecticut
Unemployment and Welfare in a Recession
The American Dream and Hopes for College
Youth: Gaps and Opportunities

Watch CT-N coverage of the meeting and read meeting documents

NOTE: The Task Force, as part of its plan to hear testimony from residents of each of Connecticut's five congressional districts, will hold a hearing for the 1st District at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 5, at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. Directions

The 1st District, represented in Congress by John B. Larson, includes these communities: Barkhamsted, Berlin, Bloomfield, Bristol, Colebrook , Cromwell, East Granby, East Hartford, East Windsor, Glastonbury, Granby, Hartford, Hartland, Manchester, Middletown, New Hartford, Newington, Portland, Rocky Hill, Southington, South Windsor, Torrington, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Winchester, Windsor, and Windsor Locks.

Children in the Recession Task Force meets Thursday, November 19

2009-11-17T09:36:00.002-05:00

The legislative task force formed by House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan to address the needs of Connecticut children and families impacted by the recession will meet at 10 a.m., Thursday, November 19, in Room 2-E of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. Agenda (PDF) | Task force home page | Children in the Recession blog

Commission on Children meets Tuesday, Nov. 10

2009-11-09T14:51:00.002-05:00

The meeting begins at 10 a.m. in the conference room of the Commission's offices, at 18-20 Trinity Street in Hartford. Here's the agenda (PDF).

Children of Incarcerated Parents

2009-10-27T11:59:00.001-04:00

In the Fatherhood section of our website, we've posted a report from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) that gives state governments a framework for helping the children of incarcerated parents. It points to research showing that such assistance can result in reduced recidivism for the parent, healthier development of the child, and fewer cases of incarceration across generations of families.

Children in the Recession Task Force holds first meeting

2009-10-01T14:52:00.001-04:00

The Speaker's task force met for the first time on Tuesday, and there's lots of material from it. You'll find it on the Commission on Children's website. We'll be adding to it for the next few days, so check back!

Children in the Recession Task Force to meet Tuesday

2009-09-28T12:57:00.001-04:00

The legislative task force formed by House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan to address the needs of children affected by the recession will meet at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, September 29, in Room 2-C of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. The Connecticut Network plans to cover it; check the CT-N website for program times.

Meeting agenda

More on the task force