The Early Childhood Council of Western CT

05/22/2026

Our full day Annual Professional Learning event will be held on Friday, August 21st at the Ethan Allen Inn in Danbury. Flyers will be out and registration will open soon via the EdAdvance Protraxx portal. With over 250 educators and community partners attending last year, we are looking to another wonderful day with a full slate of fantastic presenters, raffles, conversation, connection and fun.

🎉Reserve your space to spend the day with Greater Danbury's incredible community of early childhood educators! The teachers, directors, volunteers and agencies that are making sure there are the best outcomes possible for children and families. 🎉

05/22/2026

One of our fantastic community partners and Early Childhood Council of Western CT Council member, Yuleidy Cruz from Wellmore Behavioral Health will be presenting an introduction to ECCP on May 27th for teachers. See below for more info , this presentation will be delivered in Spanish.

05/21/2026

Help Me Grow (HMG) is a system that helps children and families find the supports they need to reach their full potential. In Connecticut, Help Me Grow serves as a pathway to access reliable information, resources, referrals, and community services related to children’s health, development, behavi...

05/21/2026

Math is not a worksheet. For young children, math is snack time, cleanup, outdoor play, and cooking.

Counting crackers. Comparing which pile has more. Sorting blocks by size. Noticing patterns in a song. These experiences build number sense, the foundational understanding of what numbers mean and how they work, long before formal math instruction begins.

The research is clear. Hands-on, concrete math experiences in early childhood predict later math success better than early academics. What math moment are you going to notice today?

05/20/2026

Started our day at the Mayor's Nonprofit Summit at WCSU together with a full house of nonprofit leaders, advocates and partners for conversations focused on connection, resources and collaboration across Danbury's nonprofit community for a shared purpose.

05/19/2026

We are thrilled to officially introduce our Leadership Day Keynote Speaker for the 2026 CTAEYC Annual Conference, Dr. Peg Oliveira!

Dr. Peg Oliveira is the Director of the Gesell Program in Early Childhood at the Yale Child Study Center and an Associate Research Scientist at Yale University. A developmental psychologist and advocate, her work focuses on child-centered approaches to teaching and parenting, with a strong emphasis on developmentally appropriate practice and play-based learning.

Throughout her career, Peg has worked closely with schools, districts, educators, families, and policymakers to support young children and the adults who care for them. Many in Connecticut’s early childhood community may also recognize her contributions to the development of Connecticut’s original Core Knowledge and Competencies for early childhood educators.

In addition to presenting our Leadership Day keynote on Thursday, September 24, Peg will also lead TWO workshops during the conference.

This is a day you will not want to miss!

Join us at the Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa for Leadership Day this September!

05/18/2026

Early Childhood Council Parent Ambassador, Debbie Hicks attended the 2026 Festival of Colors- Holi celebration at the City Center Green on Saturday. A beautiful day organized by one of our Early Start CT providers, Mini Santosh from Action Early Learning Center.
# Early Start CT
# EdAdvance

05/14/2026

05/14/2026

📚🌱 Grow, Read, and Learn Together! 🌱📚

Danbury families are invited to join Growing Together with Books at Ellsworth Avenue School - a fun and engaging family literacy program where parents and children explore the joy of reading together!

Click here to register: https://forms.gle/DrLSqkCQBQVauWdV8

This short 3-week program is packed with hands-on activities, family learning, and special moments designed to help build strong reading routines at home.

Program Highlights:
✔ Fun literacy activities in English & Spanish
✔ FREE dinner for the whole family
✔ FREE book at every session to build your home library
✔ Childcare available for children ages 4+
✔ A short, impactful 3-week experience for families

🗓 Tuesdays & Thursdays
📅 May 19 – June 4
⏰ 5:15 PM – 7:15 PM
📍 Ellsworth Avenue School

Come create meaningful memories, strengthen family connections, and discover the power of reading together! 📖

05/13/2026

Wrapping up the EdAdvance/Early Childhood Council of Western CT Spring Professional Learning Series with Supporting Social- Emotional Development: Introduction to the Pyramid Model led by OEC certified Pyramid Coach & facilitator, Ligia Hendrie. A packed house of educators who show up week after week to immerse themselves in PD, share experiences, collaborate with other teachers and bring back new ideas and strategies to their classrooms and care settings that benefit the children and families they serve. A big thank you to the fantastic slate of presenters we were grateful to have in our conference room, who brought a wealth of knowledge to share.
# Early Start CT
# Katie McGinnis /Anchor Early Years
# Danbury Public Schools Kindergarten Dream Team
# Rebekah Seaton/ All in, ECE for Equity
# Ligia Hendrie
# EdAdvance Early Childhood Specialists, L. Borysewicz & K. Zeidler
# Wellmore/ ECCP Yuleidy Cruz

05/12/2026

Our Professional Learning Series brought our Infant/Toddler caregivers together with EdAdvance Early Childhood Specialist, Lori Borysewicz to explore the essential components of a meaningful curricular approach for the youngest children in our care. Reflection and discussions around a shared understanding of responsive and individualized caregiving practices and how that supports early learning and development.
# Early Start CT