Newsletter
April 26, 2007

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A Children's Stock Portfolio

House Speaker James A. Amann (above, in light suit) and Rep. Denise W. Merrill, co-chair of the legislature's Appropriations Committee (at the microphone), were flanked by children and business leaders at the April 2 unveiling of the Children's Stock Portfolio, a document prepared by the Commission on Children.

The Portfolio shows that state prevention policies help children succeed while producing a healthy return-on-investment (ROI) for the state. For example, every dollar invested in high-quality preschool for poor children saves Connecticut $18.89 in future spending.

"Simply put, it pays to invest in prevention for children," Amann said.

The Portfolio was funded by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and the Annie E. Casey Foundation for Making Connections in Hartford.

 
The State Budget and Children
Commission on Children Legislative Director Elizabeth C. Brown has prepared this summary of children’s spending in the 2007-2009 budget proposed by the legislature’s Appropriations Committee.

Keep up on the other news from the General Assembly by making frequent visits to our Legislative Log. Also be sure to read the Commission on Children's policy recommendations for this legislative session (PDF). 

Parent Engagement Update
 

Parents graduate at the LOB on June 20

The Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) will hold its 15th-annual statewide graduation ceremony on Wednesday, June 20, at the Legislative Office Building (LOB) in Hartford. A reception will begin at 4:30 p.m., with the ceremony following at 6 p.m.  

 

Parent Trust Fund update

PLTI is one of the parent initiatives funded by the Parent Trust Fund, a program of the Children’s Trust Fund. It is administered in collaboration with the Commission and the Connecticut Center for School Change. For the latest update on the Fund, visit this page of the Commission website.

 

Learn about complementary learning
Recognizing that schools alone cannot fully meet the learning needs of children, the Harvard Family Research Project has developed the concept of "complementary learning." It includes families in the network of supports children need to be successful learners. Read more about it.


Events
 
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Commission on Children board meeting, at 10 a.m. Location to be announced.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007
"Coping in an Uncertain World: Students’ Thoughts on Safety, Conflicts, and Homeland Security." Join the Commission on Children and its partner agencies for a presentation of student writing and artwork from across the state. It will begin at 10 a.m. in Room 2-C of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.  Flyer  Directions

Wednesday, June 20, 2007
The 15th-annual statewide graduation ceremony for the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI), in the atrium of the Legislative Office Building (LOB) in Hartford. A reception begins at 4:30 p.m., the ceremony itself at 6 p.m.  Flyer  Directions  More about PLTI

For more events, visit the Events page of the Commission's website.

  
 

This work, by Phil Pasco, Grade 11, of Burlington, will be among those presented on May 15.

 
ConneCT Kids Website Relaunched
 
The state of Connecticut has given ConneCT Kids, its popular website for children, a new look, new features, and a new address: www.kids.ct.gov. The Commission on Children is proud to serve on the committee that oversees the site. For more information, read this press release (PDF).

Read Our Annual Report Online
 
Download the Commission on Children's 2006 annual report here as a PDF document. You'll find summaries of the Commission's work on everything from early reading and immunization to parent training and child obesity.

Download previous reports here.

 
About the Commission

Created in 1985 by the Connecticut General Assembly, the 25-member Commission on Children brings together the three branches of government--legislative, executive, and judicial--as well as the private sector to promote public policies in the best interests of children. More
 
The Connecticut Commission on Children
18-20 Trinity Street
Hartford, CT  06106-1591		 Phone: (860) 240-0290  
Fax: (860) 240-0248
Website: www.cga.ct.gov/coc

Commission members: James P. Cordier, Chair; George A. Coleman, Vice Chair; Josh Piteo, Treasurer; Mary Grace Reed, Secretary; Laura Lee Simon, Chair Emerita; Judith Busch; Representative Andrew M. Fleischmann; Mary K. Fox; M. Alex Geertsma, M.D., F.A.A.P; Senator Mary Ann Handley; Alison Hilding; Representative Michael Lawlor; Senator Christopher Murphy; Leslie Wolfgang; John Yrchik. Ex-officio members: commissioners of children and families, mental retardation, public health, education, social services, and correction; the secretary of policy and management; the attorney general; and the chief court administrator. More information

Commission staff: Elaine Zimmerman, executive director; Elizabeth C. Brown, legislative director; Thomas R. Brooks, director of policy and research analysis; Patricia Estill, special projects director; Dawn Homer-Bouthiette, Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) director; Kevin Flood, public information officer and webmaster; Rachel Levy, executive secretary; Edie Luciano, legislative secretary. Contact information    
 

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