WOMEN'S LEAGUE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER INC

THE WOMEN'S LEAGUE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER HAS PROVIDED SERVICES TO THE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OF THE CITY OF HARTFORD OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST 100 YEARS. THE WOMEN'S LEAGUE HAS EVOLVED TO OCCUPY A STATE-OF-THE-ART BUILDING THAT EXCLUSIVELY PROVIDES HIGH QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD SERVICES TO APPROXIMATELY 256 INFANTS AND CHILDREN RANGING IN AGE FROM 3 MONTHS TO 5 YEARS OF AGE. WE HAVE 17 CLASSROOMS AT THE WOMEN'S LEAGUE INCLUDING 1 INFANT ROOM, 8 TODDLER CLASSROOMS AND 8 PRESCHOOL CLASSROOMS. WE ALSO OFFER A BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR APPROXIMATELY 35 SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN. OUR INFANT, TODDLER AND PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS PROVIDE A SAFE, STABLE AND STIMULATING ENVIRONMENT THAT ENABLE PARENTS/GUARDIANS TO SEEK AND MAINTAIN EMPLOYMENT. SERVING PRIMARILY LOW-INCOME WORKING FAMILIES, UPWARDS OF 90% OF OUR FAMILIES RECEIVE CHILD CARE SUBSIDIES AND OTHER VARIOUS FORMS OF STATE ASSISTANCE. IT IS OUR FOCUS TO PROVIDE OUR CHILDREN WITH A VIBRANT AND STIMULATING LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THAT ENCOMPASS THE RIGOROUS LEARNING EXPECTATIONS AS ARTICULATED BY THE OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD'S EARLY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS (ELDS). WE ALSO ADHERE TO THE QUALITY STANDARDS SET FORTH BY THE CITY OF HARTFORD'S SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM. THE WOMEN'S LEAGUE IS THE LARGEST NONPROFIT, SINGLE SITE SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM IN THE CITY OF HARTFORD AND IT IS OUR GOAL TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION EXPERIENCES FOR OUR TARGET POPULATION OF LOW-INCOME FAMILIES AND CHILDREN. THIS GOAL IS PURPORTED UPON THE FOUNDATION THAT THE YOUNG LEARNERS WE SERVICE MUST BE AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP THE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL SKILLS IN OUR SETTING TO SCAFFOLD THEIR SUCCESSFUL ENTRY INTO KINDERGARTEN. GIVEN THE INCREASED MANDATES AND EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT STUDENTS MUST NOW KNOW AND BE ABLE TO DO IN ORDER TO MEET THE COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS OF TODAY'S KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOM, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE WOMEN'S LEAGUE PREPARE OUR YOUNG LEARNERS AND THEIR FAMILIES WITH THE SCHOOL READINESS SKILLS TO SET THEM UP FOR SUCCESS. LOW INCOME AFRICAN AMERICAN AND HISPANIC STUDENTS ARE KNOWN TO ENTER SCHOOL LAGGING SIGNIFICANTLY BEHIND THEIR PEERS AND THUS TO BE AT CONSIDERABLE RISK FOR DIFFICULTY IN THEIR FUTURE ACADEMIC STUDIES. CHILDREN FROM FAMILIES LIVING IN POVERTY TYPICALLY ENTER SCHOOL WITH LOWER LEVELS OF FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS IN LANGUAGE, LITERACY, VOCABULARY AND MATHEMATICS AND THESE EARLY GAPS CONTINUE TO PERSIST AND GROW OVER TIME IN COMPARISON TO STUDENTS OF MORE AFFLUENT GROUPS. ON AVERAGE, IN THE HOMES OF POOR CHILDREN, THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE FEWER RICH EXPERIENCES WITH LANGUAGE, TO HEAR FAR FEWER WORDS AND TO BE ENGAGED LESS IN EXTENDED CONVERSATIONS AND UPON STARTING KINDERGARTEN, CHILDREN IN THE LOWEST SOCIOECONOMIC GROUP HAVE AVERAGE COGNITIVE SCORES THAT ARE 60 PERCENT BELOW THOSE OF CHILDREN OF THE MOST AFFLUENT/HIGH INCOME HOMES. THESE TROUBLING DATA POINTS ARE THE MODERN-DAY REALITY FROM WHICH THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP IN THE CITY OF HARTFORD AND THIS COUNTY IS ROOTED. HOWEVER, WHAT IS ALSO A WELL-KNOWN DATA POINT IS THAT CHILDREN FROM LOW INCOME/POOR HOUSEHOLDS WHO HAVE ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMMING HAVE IMPROVED EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES DUE TO EARLY LEARNING EXPERIENCES THAT EQUIP THEM WITH THE LANGUAGE, LITERACY, MATH, AND VOCABULARY SKILLS TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS AS THEY ENTER SCHOOL. THE FAR- REACHING IMPACTS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMS ARE DOCUMENTED TO HAVE IMMEDIATE EDUCATIONAL IMPACTS FOR THE CHILDREN WHO HAVE ACCESS TO THEM AS WELL AS TO HAVE POSITIVE LIFELONG IMPACTS AND OUTCOMES. AS WE RECOGNIZE THE POWERFUL ROLE THAT OUR PROGRAM PLAYS IN THE LIVES OF OUR CHILDREN, WE ARE DRIVEN BY A SENSE OF URGENCY AND DEEP PURPOSE TO PROVIDE THE CHILDREN IN OUR PROGRAM WITH A RIGOROUS, ROBUST AND ENGAGING ENVIRONMENT TO PLACE THEM ON THE TRAJECTORY FOR FUTURE ACADEMIC AND LIFELONG SUCCESS. WITHIN OUR WORK, LIES A KEY TO LESSEN AND OR ERADICATE THE PERSISTENT LEARNING, ACHIEVEMENT AND OPPORTUNITY GAPS FOR LOW INCOME AND CHILDREN OF COLOR.