We were recently awarded two new grants!

National Child Abuse Prevention Month brings awareness to the importance of protecting children from harm and ensuring their safety and well-being. It provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations, and communities to come together and raise awareness about the issue, educate people on how to recognize and report child abuse and support victims and their families. By working together to prevent child abuse, we can create a safer and healthier environment for all children to thrive.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have long-term impacts on health, opportunity, and well-being. Nadine Burke Harris’s TED talk video, “How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime,” is a great introduction to the ACEs research, and you can learn more on the ECCS's Childhood Trauma page.

According to the National Children's Alliance (NCA), in 2024, a reported 410,676 perpetrators abused or neglected a child. In substantiated child abuse cases, 76% of children were victimized by a parent or legal guardian. Child abuse and neglect are preventable. To prevent child abuse and neglect violence, we must understand and address the factors that put people at risk for or protect them from violence. Learn more about risk factors here.

The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline service is available to anyone with a telephone: children, parents, mandatory reporters, and other adults who are uncertain about the next best step when faced with questions related to abuse and neglect. The hotline is staffed 24/7, with professional crisis counselors with access to a database of tens of thousands of emergency, social service, and support resources. All calls are anonymous. Contact them at 1.800.4.A.CHILD (1.800.422.4453).

Additional CT Resources :

• Office of the Child Advocate (OCA)
• CT Department of Children and Families (DCF)
• CT Children's Alliance
• Carelon Community Pathways

In 2021, the ECCS recruited its first Parent Ambassadors to coordinate the Community Cafe events, help with outreach, and provide feedback about what is happening in the community. With the ECCS’s new role as a Local Governance Partner, the Parent Ambassadors' role is to be a bridge-builder between families and the ECCS, bringing family voice and lived experience to the partnership table. We previously introduced Parent Ambassador Jessica Springer-Cap in our February newsletter.

Get to know Parent Ambassador Angelica Shaw

 Angelica Shaw is a mother to two children, ages 5 and 2. She has grown up in Southington and is grateful to now raise her children in this amazing community. She is an office manager for a small construction business, but spends much of her time participating in early childhood programs with her son, as well as volunteering for her daughter’s school PTO, and beginning her first term as the PTO’s volunteer coordinator. Angelica loves connecting with people and looks forward to advocating for the needs of parents and children in Southington. 

As the weather is warming up, kids are getting outside, riding around town on bikes, scooters, and skateboards. Here are a few things to keep in mind to keep everyone safe!

As of April 7, 2026, the Southington Police Department issued a public safety advisory to parents and guardians regarding the ongoing and escalating concerns involving the operation of electronic bicycles (E-bikes), dirt bikes, mopeds and all-terrain vehicles (ATV)’s. “Effective immediately, the department will adopt a zero-tolerance enforcement posture regarding the illegal and reckless operation” of these vehicles.

As of October 1st 2025, CT Legislature’s Public Act SB290, known as “Conor’s Law,” is being amended to increase the age requirement to say “no child seventeen (17) years of age or under shall operate a bicycle, nonmotorized scooter or skateboard or wear roller skates or in-line skates on the traveled portion of any highway unless such child is wearing properly fitted and fastened protective headgear.”

Learn more at southingtonearlychildhood.org/health-development/bicycle-safety/

The Kindergarten Registration Information Session provided an overview of how the registration process works and the day in the life of a kindergarten student. Details about registration for kindergarten in the Southington Public Schools, which is now open, and presentation slides are on the Kindergarten Registration page.

The Kindergarten Readiness Workshop gave attendings information about what children should know about literacy, numeracy, fine/gross motor and developmental play skills to be prepared for entering kindergarten in the Southington Public Schools. The presentation slides are available on the ECCS Kindergarten Ready page. One suggestion we heard was once your child can count from one to ten, ask them to count backwards from ten to one to prepare them for subtraction. Also ask them to count to ten starting at a number that you provide, like three or four, can they do it without starting from one?

Coming up in May is Orientation for your child, which usually includes a bus safety talk and a parent meeting. More information about Orientation can be found on the Kindergarten Registration page. 

April 28th - Community Table Meeting - 1 pm to 2 pm at 35 North Main Street, Suite 3A-8. Contact us for more information about this meeting. 

May 4th - ECCS at the Library - 9 am to 12 pm at Southington Public Library in the Children's Department. Stop by to ECCS Executive Director, Joanne Kelleher. She can answer your questions about raising children here in town. 

May 16th - Touch a Truck - 10 am - 2 pm at the Southington Drive-In. Tickets are $4 per child, free for adults. (Rain date is May 17th)

May 17th - W.I.S.E. Mental Health Community Block Party - 1 pm to 4 pm in Downtown Southington, next to First Congregational Church. This is a free event. (Rain date is May 31st)

May 19th - ECCS Office Hours - 3 pm to 5:30 pm at 35 North Main Street, Suite 3A-8. Stop by to see ECCS Executive Director, Joanne Kelleher. She can answer your questions about raising children here in town.

May 28th - State of Early Childhood in Southington Presentation - 7:30 am to 9:30 am at Southington Community Cultural Arts (SoCCA), 93 Main Street. All organizations and agencies that support children and families in town, along with parents/guardians, are invited.

Learn more and register here.

May 30th - Car Seat Safety Check - 9 am to 1 pm at the Southington Calendar House, 388 Pleasant Street. Car seats will be inspected on a first-come, first-served basis at this free event.

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

Did you know that the ECCS does not receive funding from the Town of Southington or the Board of Education? Our work to support the parents and caregivers of Southington’s youngest citizens is funded primarily through grants we have applied for. 

Receiving contributions from individuals like you helps support our operations and allows us to show our larger funders that there is strong community backing for this work.

There are many ways that you can support our work -

1. Volunteer. Serve on the Board of Directors or become a Community Table member.
2. Get us something from our wishlist.
3. Advocate
4. Donate.
5. Follow, Like, and Share our social media

             Facebook @ECCSouthington

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