Jan. 23 event to center on conversation about the children of our community
Danbury, Conn. (January 17, 2018) — Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership in conjunction with the United Way of Western Connecticut (UWWC) is proud to announce a Community Report Out event on January 23, 2018, at 8:00 am in the Community Room of the Danbury Police Headquarters. Join us as we kick off the new year with a dynamic discussion about successes and challenges the children in Danbury are facing and how we can best support them.
The Partnership will introduce its 2016-2017 Community Report Card on Young Children, a yearly baseline data report. “The data tells us that despite low unemployment in Danbury, our families are still struggling. They are overly challenged to meet the basic needs of life, and our students who face disadvantages early on often struggle to overcome them. Living in an environment filled with stress can have a solemn impact on a young developing mind,” explains Megan Chrysler, Coordinator for Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership. “Through our Community Report Card, we compiled data to reflect the reality for most facets of a child’s life. It tells an interesting story. There is daily struggle, but we also know that there is a wealth of support programs and initiatives in Danbury. As a result, the data also tells a story of hope.”
The hope in this case, comes in the form of collaborative efforts across the city, working to support families. “Examining the data gives us the facts about the conditions that exist, and our work provides many narratives that support this data. We know families are struggling and we work together to counter the negative effects of these struggles. This data provides a basis for building our working strategies and our collaborative efforts help to extend our reach and resources,” said Kimberly Morgan, the Partnership’s Steering Committee Co-Chair and CEO of UWWC.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership is pleased to welcome guest speaker, Gabriel Lomas, PhD, to this event. Dr. Lomas is a professor of educational psychology at Western Connecticut State University and will speak about the effects of toxic stress on young children. “Toxic stress can be disabling, and research shows that adverse childhood experiences may result in negative health outcomes in adulthood. However, there is evidence to show that when we can identify the roots of toxic stress and implement both preventive and interventive programs, we can reverse negative trends and improve health outcomes for youth and adults,” explains Dr. Lomas.
Danbury’s Promise for Children Partnership is a collaborative that focuses on early childhood and is working to ensure all children ages birth through age eight are healthy and ready for school and lifelong learning. They do this through a large network of community partners and grant funding from the City of Danbury, Danbury Public Schools and private foundations, including The Grossman Family Foundation. This collaborative work has resulted in expanded services and supports for families, professional development for preschool teachers, and outreach and education for families on healthy living topics.
This event will highlight the collaborative work in Danbury and provide a springboard for a rich community conversation on early childhood. Coffee and light refreshments will be served. For more information or to RSVP for the event, please contact Megan Chrysler at: megan.chrysler@uwwesternct.org or 203-826-8279.