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OEC outlines family engagement, pilots Parents Connecting Parents and spotlights parent leaders
Summary
The Connecticut Office of Early Childhood described family engagement initiatives — Head Start partnerships, a 15‑member statutory Parent Cabinet, a Parents Connecting Parents pilot in six cities, and a statewide 2‑Gen initiative — then hosted a parent panel on practical self‑care strategies and barriers.
The Connecticut Office of Early Childhood used a public webinar to highlight ongoing family engagement efforts and to convene parent leaders to discuss practical self‑care. Elena Truworthy, acting commissioner, introduced program leads who described several OEC efforts designed to elevate parent voice and connect families to services.
Karen Pascall, director of the Connecticut Head Start Collaboration Office at OEC, summarized the Parent Cabinet as "a diverse parent led, 15 member statutory statewide advisory committee to the OEC" that meets monthly to advise the agency and other state partners on improving services for young children and families. Pascall said the Parent Cabinet advances family leadership and helps the OEC form partnerships with families and local agencies.
Christina Morales described a new pilot, Parents Connecting Parents, which recruits parent ambassadors to meet families where they are—parks, laundromats, bodegas and other community hubs—and to connect them to state and local early childhood programs. Morales listed the six pilot communities as Bridgeport, Hartford, New Britain, New Haven, New London and Waterbury, and said the Office of Early Childhood hopes to expand the pilot in the future. She also summarized Connecticut's two‑generation (2‑Gen) initiative, saying the state enacted enabling legislation for 2‑Gen in 2015.
A facilitated parent panel—Mallory Paige (OEC Parent Cabinet/Head Start Policy Council), Alexis Dwyer (2‑Gen advisory board), Denise (parent leader) and Stephanie Allory (parent ambassador)—shared grassroots strategies for everyday self‑care and the same barriers the OEC initiatives seek to address: underutilization of services, time and financial constraints, and competing caregiving responsibilities. Panelists recommended practical approaches including grocery delivery, simplifying daily tasks, scheduling 'grace' days, setting boundaries, and modeling rest and self‑care for children.
Organizers closed by thanking interpretation and technical staff and by asking participants to complete a post‑webinar survey the UConn School of Social Work Innovation Institute will provide. The OEC framed the webinar as part of ongoing family engagement and signaled the Parents Connecting Parents pilot and 2‑Gen work as priorities for outreach and parent leadership.
