The CT Early Childhood Alliance and Graustein Memorial Fund will host an event with Dr. Joan Lombardi, Deputy Assistant Secretary & Interdepartmental Liaison for Early Childhood Development, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the state's Discovery commmunities. The event takes place July 19 at Central CT State University.

The CT Early Childhood Alliance will honor House Speaker Christopher Donovan as its 2010 Legislator of the Year on May 26. Also to be honored are four members of the legislature -- Reps. Cathy Abercrombie, Beth Bye, Karen Jarmoc and Diana Urban -- with special recognition and 52 legislators as Children's Champions.

Press conference in partnership with the the Speaker's Task Force on Children in the Recession, CT Association of Human Services and CT Early Childhood Alliance. Scheduled for April 14 at the Women's League Child Development Center in Hartford.

The week of April 11-17 marks the Week of the Young Child, a NAEYC event that celebrates young children and the those who make a difference in their lives.  The purpose of the Week of the Young Child is to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs. NAEYC first established the Week of the Young Child in 1971, recognizing that the early childhood years (birth through age 8) lay the foundation for children's success in school and later life. The Week of the Young Child is a time to plan how we--as citizens of a community, of a state, and of a nation--will better meet the needs of all young children and their families. The CT Early Childhood Alliance and CT Association for the Education of Young Children have partnered this year to raise awareness of the WOYC.

Nearly 200 people, including advocates and children took to the state Capitol in Hartford on March 3 to urge their legislators to preserve existing early care programs.

Five early care and education centers in West Hartford and Enfield Head Start hosted legislators and town officials to read to the children for Read Across America Day.

Rep Karen Jarmoc (D-Enfield) hosted an Early Care and Education Summit in February 2010. It was hosted in partnership with the Alliance and Enfield KITE.

In January 2010, legislators including Deputy Speaker Denise Merrill, Senator Jonathan Harris and Rep. Elizabeth Esty visisted early care and education programs in Mansfield, Bloomfield and Wallingford. The tours were organized by the CT Early Childhood Alliance to give legislators the opportunity to experience quality programs in action.

On Dec. 14, members of the CT Early Childhood Alliance joined with Rep. Toni Walker and other legislators to urge lawmakers to protect children from devastating budget cuts that have been proposed by Governor Rell as part of her deficit mitigation plan.

This release went out after the Nov. 14 event featuring Dr. Jacqueline Jones, who serves as Education Secretary Arne Duncan's senior advisor for early learning.