As the 2009 Legislative Session opened on Jan. 7, Governor M. Jodi Rell told members of the House and Senate they have a tough road ahead of them. This will be a time of shared sacrifice, she said. Cuts will be deep and will affect every agency, every program and every service provided by state government.  In these tough economic times, however, Rell pointed out that families will be turning to them for help in many aspects of their lives, including child care, which she called a basic necessity.

More than 70 organizations throughout the state of Connecticut stood united and asked the Governor and General Assembly to remember the positive strides that have been made in early care and education, nutrition and health for children, as they grapple with potential cuts to the state's budget.

117 Connecticut programs have received NAEYC accreditation over the past year. These programs were honored recently by the Connecticut Charts-A-Course Accreditation Facilitation Project.

Five Bridgeport schools - Beardsley, Columbus, Hall, Hallen and Winthrop - have overcome hurdles such as huge budget cuts, larger class sizes and a lack of textbooks and educational supplies, to record substantial achievement gains over the past five years. This report by the Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition represents the first of its kind for Bridgeport schools.