Summer is almost over and school starts soon. We hope you and your family had fun adventures. The ECCS has been busy over the summer with multiple events and the opening of our new office space!

New Office Space!

The Early Childhood Collaborative of Southington is so excited to announce that we have opened an office and education space in downtown Southington! After almost 19 years of working out of our homes and holding meetings at churches, schools, and local non-profits, we now have our own space.

With our organization’s transition to being a Local Governance Partner for the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood’s Early Start CT initiative, this new office will allow us to more easily host meetings, professional development opportunities, and parent education classes to best serve families and childcare providers in the community.

Thank you to the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain, Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, and Connecticut Network for Children and Youth for supporting this space, and to the members of YETIS (Youth Empowerment Team Initiative of Southington) who helped the ECCS set up and organize their new office.

RAPID Survey #3 Results

Families from across Connecticut, with children under the age of 6, are encouraged to participate in the Connecticut RAPID Survey Project. The ECCS is one of the community-based organizations that recruits families to participate in the RAPID survey.

Survey #3 asked parents about their experiences of material hardship, defined as difficulty in the last month affording basic needs, such as food, housing, utilities, child care, and healthcare.

54% parents surveyed report difficulty affording at least one area of basic need.
The highest rates of material hardship (65%) among Connecticut families living in rural areas of the state.
36% parents surveyed specifically experience difficulty paying for utilities.
Large numbers of parents in the survey also report difficulty affording housing (27%), child care (26%), food (25%), wellness support (24%), and healthcare (24%).

These results include 90 people who used the ECCS survey link. Thank you to everyone who participated, and look for the next survey in September.

Read the whole report at rapidsurveyproject.com/article/many-connecticut-families-with-young-children-are-struggling-to-make-ends-meet/

Back to School

The first day of public school in Southington is Thursday, August 28th!

The school bus routes for the 2025-2026 school year have been posted.

Notifications about teacher assignments are usually sent out the week prior.

If your child hasn't completed their summer math and reading assignments yet, they have several more days.

The mandated school physical form needs to be completed (and submitted) within one year prior to the first day of school for entry into SPS Preschool, Kindergarten, Grade 7, and Grade 10.

Information for Southington Public Schools such as links to the school year calendar, bus routes, health forms, PTO websites, and more can be found at www.southingtonearlychildhood.org/southington-schools/.

If you need before or after-school care, the ECCS lists the options in that section of our Resource Directory.

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Southington Bookmobile Tour

The 3rd annual Southington Summer Bookmobile Tour returns on Friday, August 22nd, with two stops around town. Join us at either location and have your child pick out a FREE book.

Bookmobile Tour 2025

Car Seat Safety Check

The ECCS Car Seat Safety Check event with the Southington Police Department will be on Saturday, September 6th from 9 am to 1 pm at the Calendar House.

If you need your car seat checked before then you can reach out directly to the SPD non-emergency number to request an appointment.

Car Seat Check Sept 2025

Tax Free Week

Connecticut's 26th Sales Tax-Free Week will run until Saturday, August 23th. During this week, retail purchases of most clothing and footwear items priced under $100 are exempt from the Connecticut sales and use tax. Examples of Clothing or footwear that are exempt can be found here.

Increased Lead Poisoning

The criteria for testing and levels for lead poisoning have become stricter, which has resulted in more children in Southington being identified as lead-poisoned. Lead poisoning in a child was defined as having a lead level of 15 µg/dL or higher 3 years ago; now the number is much lower at 3.5 µg/dL.

In Southington, there are many homes built before 1978, which increases a child’s risk for lead poisoning.
Over the past 2 years, the South Central Health District has worked closely with pediatricians in the area to ensure they are doing the mandated screening at the 12 and 24-month checks, as well as completing mandatory reporting forms to the local health department.

Learn more and find resources at https://www.southingtonearlychildhood.org/home-safety/

Southington Rides Safe Event

The Southington Elks are hosting a FREE bicycle safety event for children ages 8 to 14!

! Sign up for this event at www.surveymonkey.com/r/SouthingtonRidesSafe2025

Upcoming Events

August 22, 2025 - Southington Summer 2025 Bookmobile Tour

September 2, 2025 - ECCS Office Hours

September 5, 2025 - Southington Farmer’s Market

September 6, 2025 - Child Car Seat Safety Check

September 10, 2025 - ECCS Office Hours

September 22, 2025 - ECCS Office Hours

For more details, visit www.southingtonearlychildhood.org/events/ or follow us on our social media.

Supporting the ECCS

Did you know that you can set up a small, recurring donation to the ECCS?

"Consistent monthly contributions, especially when automated, turn generosity into a habit and create lasting impact without the need for constant reminders." - Brian Williams, ECCS Board Member

1) Follow us on your favorite social media platforms and then like, comment, or share so your friends see our posts too!

2) Forward this email to a friend or colleague.

3) Volunteer your time as a board member or advocate.

4) Help with one-time or periodic donations.

5) Leave us a review on Google and Facebook.

About Us

The Early Childhood Collaborative of Southington is a group of committed educators, parents, grandparents, healthcare and childcare providers, business owners, civic organizations, and members of the community who are deeply invested in the growth, development, and academic success of young children in Southington.

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