ECETI Receives Grant

The Early Care and Education Training Institute has announced that it has received a $25,000 grant from the Fairfield County Foundation, the county’s community foundation. The grant will help support on-site educational and evaluation consultations to teaching staff of child care centers in greater Danbury and greater Bridgeport using the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale (ECERS).

This grant represents $15,000 in Fairfield County Foundation (FCF) discretionary funds and an additional $10,000 from an FCF donor-advised fund. The purpose of the site visits is to create a seamless approach to professional development in early childhood education. Over 75 center-based teachers and caregivers have received assistance through the ECETI.

“The Foundation believes that this kind of one-on-one, on-site educational coaching is critical to further enhancing the quality of early childhood education programs in greater Danbury and greater Bridgeport,” Karen Brown, FCF program director, stated. “Both parts of Fairfield County have several excellent early childhood programs eager to take advantage of the Early Care Education Training Institute’s proposed services, but are unable to purchase them privately.”

The ECETI is based in Sandy Hook. Its mission it to improve the quality of early childhood programs through professional development and technical assistance, and to build family awareness of quality measures in education, increase involvement in their children’s early childhood experiences, and improve parenting skills that support child development.

For more information about ECETI, call 203/426-9663.