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Site MapThe Importance of the Early Years
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What policies should Connecticut follow to promote the health and education of infants and toddlers? The Commission on Children and Department of Social Services (DSS) sought to answer that in a draft document issued in November 2006.
Entitled, "First Words, First Steps: The Importance of the Early Years," it can be downloaded here in PDF format. (Seven pages.)
Plans call for
submitting a final draft to the governor by June 2007.
Zigler and other experts weigh in
To coincide with the release of the draft report, the state's Early Childhood Education Cabinet held a forum on infants and toddlers at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford on November 15. It featured a keynote address by Dr. Edward Zigler, Sterling Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Yale University and Director Emeritus of the Edward Zigler Center in Child Development & Social Policy, also at Yale University. He is best-known as the "father" of the federal Head Start program. (biography)
The event also featured a roundtable discussion that included:
-- Dr. David Carter, Chancellor, Connecticut State University system
-- Dr. Patrice Farquharson, Executive Director, West Haven Child
Developmental Center
-- M. Alex Geertsma, M.D., Connecticut chapter of the American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
-- Elsa Jones, Program Associate, Brighter Futures Initiative of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
-- T. Diane Wilder, MSW and M.Ed, Haskins Laboratories, New Haven (biographies)
The event was televised
by the Connecticut Network (CT-N), which provides
free streaming video of recent events on its website. It also
sells event recordings.
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From left, Social Services Commissioner Patricia A. Wilson-Coker, Dr. Patrice Farquharson, and Dr. Edward Zigler | |
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Commission on Children Executive Director Elaine Zimmerman with Dr. Edward Zigler | |
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Dr. Edward Zigler with Dr. David Carter | |
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Elsa Jones | |
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Dr. M. Alex Geertsma | |
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T. Diane Wilder |
