The City of Hartford, Connecticut has a deep-rooted commitment to supporting its youngest residents through targeted early childhood interventions.
As the first municipality in the state to adopt a citywide Blueprint for Young Children and the first to establish a dedicated department focused on early childhood initiatives, Hartford has solidified its role as a leader in this space. Through the work of the Department of Families, Children, Youth, and Recreation, the city continues to build a comprehensive system that integrates family voices, data-driven approaches and robust support for the informal early childhood workforce.
NLC’s Early Childhood Success team, through the Decades in the Making initiative, is highlighting Hartford’s innovative approach to advancing early childhood success. By creating strategic programs and fostering partnerships, the city is working to improve outcomes for children and families while addressing the challenges faced by the early childhood workforce.
Key Elements of Hartford’s Early Childhood Strategy
1. Incorporating Community Voice from the Start
One of the central pillars of Hartford’s early childhood approach is the inclusion of community voice in decision-making processes. The city has made a concerted effort to ensure that families, parents and community stakeholders from various sectors have a seat at the table since the inception of its Office of Early Childhood in 2004. The Mayor’s Cabinet for Young Children has historically played a pivotal role in this effort, advising the mayor on policy matters related to young children. The cabinet brings together a diverse group of voices, including parents, representatives from community organizations, various city staff and the superintendent of schools.
This inclusive structure helps ensure that policies are responsive to the actual needs of Hartford’s families and that residents stay informed. It also acknowledges that no two families are alike, and solutions must be tailored to individual needs, not one-size-fits-all.
2. Using Data-Driven Practices to Inform Strategy
Hartford has long focused on data-driven practices that also keep the community informed. When the original Office of Early Childhood began, it created accessible bi-annual “report cards” that were promoted and shared with the community to show transparency. The office also cultivated community engagement by hosting city events where it shared its findings.
While Hartford is dedicated to striving for data-driven approaches in all aspects, the approach has recently become more visible through the city’s collaboration and data-sharing agreement with CTData and their support of the Ascend Pipeline initiative, a cradle-to-career effort focused on improving outcomes for children in the North Hartford Promise Zone. The initiative aims to address the academic, social, economic and health inequities faced by families in the area. By involving a cross-sector team of early childhood experts, community leaders and residents, and by soliciting feedback through open community meetings, the city is working to align resources and identify priority areas to support children from birth through their school years.
Another key aspect of the city’s current data work involves the partnership with Hartford Public Schools to utilize PowerSchool, a student information system. Once fully implemented, this system will help them monitor the progress of young children and ensure that interventions are effective and timely, making data an essential tool in shaping Hartford’s early childhood landscape.
3. Supporting the Informal Early Childhood Workforce
Recognizing that the informal early childhood workforce is essential to the community, Hartford is working to elevate the early childhood workforce by offering support to improve both the quality of care and the sustainability of their operations.
Hartford’s Staffed Family Child Care Network provides resources on high-quality care, sustainable business and quality improvement for early childhood providers looking to establish a family childcare home. Early childhood providers are supported with training, professional development classes and individual business support. Through these efforts, Hartford is creating a stable and professional early childhood workforce pipeline that can continue to serve families effectively while also supporting the economic development of the city.
Early Childhood Success Live “Newsletter”
Register now for “Early Childhood Success Live ‘Newsletter'” on December 10 at 1:30 PM, a newsletter-style webinar that will highlight the latest insights from cities across the country, showcasing innovative strategies and best practices for advancing early childhood priorities.
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