Gov. Malloy: Expanding Family Resource Centers Will Deliver Key Services for Connecticut's Children

Press Release

Governor Dannel P. Malloy, together with Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman and Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor, today announced that ten new sites for school-based Family Resource Centers have been selected to provide an array of additional wraparound services for children and their families. Expansion of Connecticut's family resource center network was a key part of education reform legislation signed by the Governor earlier this year. Initiatives include home visitations to screen for child development needs, before- and after-school care, summer camps, child-rearing skills classes, high school equivalency classes, and English as a Second Language (ESL) programming, among other services.

As mandated by the new education reform law the state's 30 Alliance Districts were eligible to apply for one of the ten new Family Resource Center slots. Selections were made following a competitive process that included statements of interest from districts and an extensive review of applications. By law, Family Resource Centers must be located within public elementary schools. New locations include:

J. C. Clark School, Hartford
Fair Haven Elementary School, New Haven
Franklin Mayberry Elementary School, East Hartford
John B. Stanton Elementary School, Norwich
Greene-Hills School, Bristol
Jonathan Reed Elementary School, Waterbury
Ridge Hill School, Hamden
Roger Sherman Elementary School, Meriden
Ross Woodward Classical Studies School, New Haven
Smith Elementary School, New Britain

"Expanding these family resource centers means more children and parents will be able to take advantage of the kinds of services that can make all the difference in a young person's life," said Governor Malloy. "Whether it's an afterschool program that opens up a new world to a young mind or a little extra help for an English language learner, the result is a young person that's poised for success in school and whatever else they choose to do later in life. Simply put, creating more family resources centers will help us level the playing field, so we can begin to eliminate the nation's largest achievement gap."

"For a school that's been struggling, a new family resource center can make all the difference," said Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman. "We won't overcome the challenges that some of our public schools face overnight. But these new centers are a clear sign that we're serious about expanding the services that we know can make a real difference."

Public Act 12-116, An Act Concerning Education Reform, targets $1.9 million in funding to create ten new family resource centers throughout Connecticut. A portion of the funding, approximately $800,000, will also be used to support programming and services offered in the state's 62 existing Family Resource Centers.

Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor said: "Our state's Family Resource Centers provide high quality support services to our children and families. By boosting access to these valuable school-linked services, we help ensure that children come to school ready to learn and that families have access to the services they need."

Family Resource Centers coordinate local services that lead to school and social readiness. Family Resource Centers also aim to create a welcoming environment at the schools in which they are located, especially for parents who have had negative or difficult experiences with schools in the past. They also serve as a resource and referral link for HUSKY, D-SNAP, and mental health service programs.

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