Local Needs Assessment

In the ECCS’s role as a Local Governance Partner (LGP) for the town of Southington, the CT Office of Early Childhood required the completion of a Local Needs Assessment (LNA). After months of work, several meetings, and surveys completed by parents/guardians and early childhood educators, the LNA was submitted on June 30, 2026. You can read the LNA here.

The Southington Local Needs Assessment focuses on families and caregivers in our community and contains these sections:

  • LGP Information
  • LNA Process
  • Children and Family Characteristics
  • Child and Family Basic Needs, Health, and Well-Being
  • Availability and Affordability of Early Care and Education
  • Additional Supports for Children and Families
  • LGP Structure
  • Strengths, Gaps, and Focus Areas
  • Appendices

Following the overall data analysis, the ECCS identified the top three focus areas for increasing the well-being of young children and their families in our community.

Focus Area 1: Support Children’s needs

Offer and/or promote education opportunities specifically addressing behavioral management, social-emotional needs and emotional regulation, screen time strategies and special needs.

Why? Both families and early childhood educators report that these are challenge areas.

Focus Area 2: Support Mental Health needs of children, families and childcare providers

Share resources and educational information.
Work to decrease mental health stigma.
Encourage and share opportunities for community connection and socialization.

Why? Addressing mental health, including anxiety, depression and trauma, is an ongoing need for people of all ages. This was seen in the 2 ECCS surveys, the 2020 and 2025 ECCS Strategic Plans and Hartford Healthcare’s Community Health Needs Assessment.
Families are reporting they are not connected to others in the community which increases isolation.

Focus Area 3: Improve quality and affordable childcare

Provide advice, resources and/or training to the providers who want to apply for Early Start, become accredited, increase their Elevate level and/or improve the quality of their program.
Promote Care4Kids to families.
Educate families about how to identify quality care and how that ties to accreditation and the Elevate program.
Advocate for quality and affordable care.

Why? Finding affordable care is difficult as Care4Kids is underutilized and there are limited Early Start spots.
Of the 24 providers surveyed, 1 is currently accredited by NAEYC, two are working on it and one other is interested. One Family childcare is interested in NAFCC accreditation. Four are interested in moving to the Elevate Member+ level.

Next Steps

These three focus areas will form the foundation of the Community Plan which is due by November 20, 2026. “The Community Plan process is intended to build directly from what you are learning through your LNA. These materials can help guide your team in identifying focus areas, developing action steps, considering needed resources, and planning how you will monitor progress over time.”

Do you want to get involved in this work? Contact us about joining the LGP Community Table.