Issues in the Stamford/Danbury communities included a shortage of infant/toddler care, the need for year round school age care (summers, before/after-school care, vacations and holidays), and a shortage of respite care for elders. Additionally, employees of Champion companies expressed the desire for more value for the high cost of care in their area. Connecticut state regulations for child care require already had low child:staff ratios, but didn't require ongoing training for center directors and family child care providers.

The ABC set out to increase the flexibility of care options, add value, and increase the supply of care in targeted locations. They also planned to integrate projects into already existing statewide initiatives. Having implemented an accreditation project for both child care centers and school age programs, the ABC ensured that this project and all trainings going forward are linked with Charts-A-Course, the Connecticut Professional Development System. Summer camps were also funded to expand or start up new programs. ABC funding also went to expand an existing in-home respite care program for elders in the community.

Funding Companies

Bell Atlantic Company
Citibank, N.A.
Deloitte & Touche
General Electric
IBM Corporation
Texaco Inc.
Xerox Corporation

Projects

Early Childhood
Caring for Infants and Toddlers for Child Care Center
NAEYC Facilitated Accreditation for Child Care Center
Seminar: The Human Side of Management
(for Child Care Center)
CORE Basic Competency Curriculum for Family Child Care Providers
Advanced CORE Curriculum Training for Family Child Care Providers
Mentoring for Family Child Care Providers
Scholarships for Family Child Care Providers

School-Age
Before/After-School Program
The Bridge Project
First Steps: An Introduction to National Quality Standards
Resource Van Visits
Summer Camp
Teamswork! On the Road to Accreditation
Theme-based Activities

Backup
Backup Dependent Care Subsidy
Backup Emergency Care
Mildly Ill Conference

Elder Care
Bill Paying/Money Management Home Care Worker Recruitment/Training