No Joke: Matching Funds Available if State Antes Up

When does $1.5 million state-funded investment dollars equate to $3.2 million? When it is combined with $1.7 million of private funding. And this is no April Fool's joke.

At the Legislative Office Building on April 1, close to 100 people, including legislators, parents and philanthropic leaders gathered to hear the announcement of a challenge to the state: Come up with $1.5 million to invest in building community plans for early childhood, increasing parent leadership (through programs such as the Connecticut Parent Trust Fund's Parent Leadership Training Institute, or “PLTI”), and improving early literacy, then private funders and foundations, including the William Casper Graustein Memorial Fund, will fund the remaining $1.7 million.

“Foundations are ready to invest,” said WCGMF Executive Director David Nee. “I really hope this offer is appropriately [accepted].”

It's not a huge sum of money to invest on either side, however, the testament to the product is measurable. The room was filled with parent leaders, many of whom have completed, or are in the process of completing, PLTI. Some of those parents shared stories that put them on the path of parental engagement for the future of their children. Parent groups and advocates from East Hartford, West Hartford, Torrington, New Britain, Norwich, Norwalk, Manchester, Danbury, Windham, Windsor, Bridgeport, Stamford, Meriden, Middletown and Colchester were all present to show their support of the matching funds and the opportunity to continue investments in early learning and parent leadership programming. Both make good economic and social sense for Connecticut's children, especially in tough times.

“We can't say enough about Graustein and other [funders] who are making these partnerships work,” said Rep. Bruce Morris (D-Norwalk). “I can't say enough about PLTI either. This certainly is a tough budget year, but this is an investment.”

Rep. Morris spoke of closing the state's achievement gap and said there is a way to do just that.

“Early childhood education is one of the first things we need to do,” he said. “We need to level the playing field with parents playing an active role.”

Marisol Estrada-Soto, a 2007 graduate of the PLTI class in Meriden, said the class has helped her become more involved. She is even now part of a work group for the “Meriden Early Learning Blueprint,” a comprehensive plan of action to promote learning for young children and their families.

“I realized I wanted to help the parents of Meriden become more engaged,” she said. Taking part in the Meriden Blueprint plan has helped her further understand what is going on in her own community.

For some, the reason for taking part in PLTI is more personal. That is the case of Kimberly Clark of New Haven, who is half-way through the 20-week program.

“The reason I am so adamant for PLTI and PEP [People Empowering People, also part of the CT Parent Trust Fund] is because I have a 7-year-old and I don't want to lose him to the streets,” Clark said, her voice filling with emotion. “It would be a disservice to allow these [programs] to fall by the wayside. It is teaching me I have a voice, how to use my voice, how I am somebody and that as corny as it may sound, the children are our future.”

“Families are so ready to be engaged – they just need the support,” said Elaine Zimmerman, Executive Director of the Connecticut Commission on Children.

Former representative and current East Hartford Mayor Melody Currey said there are at least 100 graduates of PLTI in East Hartford, and many of them are now serving on boards and commissions and are speaking out for children's issues.

“We have been very fortunate to have that,” Currey said, noting that the matching funds from the state will most likely happen, adding, “I think this one is a no-brainer.”

Susan Murphy, Vice President of Corporate Communications and Community Relations for Liberty Bank, which matches dollars in communities where they have bank branches, said one of the bank's priorities in its strategic plan is to invest in preventative programming for families, including early literacy, youth leadership and PLTI.

“You don't get to be an organization for over 100 years without understanding the importance of investing in the future,” Murphy said. “It's one of the best investments we can make. [But] we can't obviously do it alone – the only way we can do it is to partner with state and local government.”

In terms of the capacity building portion of funding, Norwalk's George Hensinger, representing Norwalk Early Childhood Council, said the council has been involved with Graustein for at least the past 10 years and has developed a three-year action plan in Norwalk. Eighty school readiness slots, he said, were added in Norwalk in 2008, with a goal of another 100 planned for 2009-2010. He added that through a program called "EPIC," 29 parents have been trained to go out and further engage other parents in the community.

When asked how confident she was that the state would secure the $1.5 million in matching funds, Rep. Catherine Abercrombie, who is herself a graduate of PLTI, said “very.” But she urged those present to contact their legislators to educate them on what these programs accomplish.

“As we all know, nothing is set in stone,” she said.

The press conference was sponsored by the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, CT Parent Power (of which many members have taken part in PLTI), Rep. Catherine Abercrombie and the Connecticut Commission on Children.