Connecticut Community Foundation, in its latest round of cradle to career grants, has awarded $104,178 to 15 organizations in the Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills region to support young children’s education and development. With its cradle to career funding, the Foundation aims to improve successful educational and social-emotional outcomes for youth from birth and into early adulthood.

Some of the new grant awards included:

  • Reach Out & Read received $10,000 towards providing new, developmentally-appropriate books to children and early literacy guidance to parents during regular pediatric checkups involving over 6,400 children and families served by Reach Out and Read in Greater Waterbury.
  • Naugatuck Partnership for Children received $11,735 for its early childhood collaborative work, which includes professional development, community workshops and individual coaching in community programs around literacy.
  • Watertown Board of Education received $9,025 to fund the Watertown Preschool Collaboration’s program, which includes collaborative literacy events, joint professional development, literacy bags and parent outreach and engagement.
  • The Darcy School in Cheshire received $8,840 to support the training of staff and community providers in the Circle of Security behavior management model.
  • New Milford Public Schools received $4,389 for continued support of its early childhood collaborative work, which includes professional development, community workshops, and individual coaching in community programs around literacy.

Said Paula Van Ness, president and CEO of Connecticut Community Foundation, “Tremendous evidence exists that high quality early education gives kids vital opportunities for developing the cognitive, social, and emotional skills they need to succeed. The newest recipients of our cradle to career grants demonstrate exceptional dedication and expertise in providing children the resources they need for the best start in life and continued success. We are thrilled to be a partner in their work.”

View the complete list of the Foundation’s 2016 Cradle to Career grantees here.