RECEIVED FROM CPTV MEDIA RELATIONS

Upcoming CPTV documentary will explore the divide between low and high income communities as it relates to learning and early childhood education opportunities in Connecticut

Evelyn Rodriguez’s eyes well up with tears up when she talks about the poverty she is witness to every day as a counselor at the Parkville Family Center in Hartford. “You know, when we do our Christmas for the families, they’re not asking for toys. They’re asking for food, bed sheets, blankets, winter coats…”

The children in Evelyn’s care are not alone. Nearly half of all Hartford children and one quarter of our children statewide are living in poverty. It is hard to imagine such a wide economic divide in as state as wealthy as Connecticut. The state consistently ranks in the top three of the nation’s wealthiest states, yet Hartford has the second highest child poverty rate of any city in the nation. These grim statistics define the gap between the rich and the poor.

This month, Connecticut Public Television (CPTV)  presents a compelling, original documentary, “Closing the Gap: Our Children, Our Destiny,” which premieres locally on Connecticut Public Television on February 27 at 8 p.m.  Immediately following, a live, call-in Town Meeting on Closing the Gap with air on CPTV. The call-in number is 1-800-842-2788.

Dr. Ed Zigler, widely considered the “father” of Head Start, has observed that the average quality of childcare in this country is “somewhere between poor and mediocre” and posits further that up to 15 percent of children are “damaged.”  This, he says, is a major factor in why children show up to school not ready to learn.

Closing the Gap: Our children, Our Destiny examines the divide between the rich and poor as it relates to early childhood learning and early childhood education options and delves into how far Connecticut has come on the early learning curve, the efficacy of the programs available, and their economic impact. Is early childhood education effective? Is it economically viable? Is universal preschool the answer?

Paired with the issues surrounding early childhood education in this provocative program is the examination of preschool and daycare. The program will also delve into the results of a worldwide study on the quality of preschool education.

Independent Producer Jennifer Boyd takes viewers to the front line of these issues, visiting daycare, preschool, and public schools, interviewing economic and childcare experts, and examining state budgetary support for early childhood education

As the production of this documentary was completed, Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell released her FY08 and FY 09 budget summary, which included some $103 million in additional funding for early childhood programs.

The Governor’s Early Childhood Research & Policy Council Early Childhood Investment Plan Recommendations includesproposed funding for 14 programs, including financial support for high quality preschool for all three- and four-year-olds in families at or below 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Level; the design and implementation of kindergarten assessment statewide; and the establishment of “a functioning network of early childhood researchers.” The proposals also include creating a comprehensive strategic plan for serving infants and toddlers; expanding eligibility categories in the Birth to Three program to include mild developmental delays and environmental risks; and establishing a quality rating scale for early care and education-based programs.

At this writing, the debate on the proposals in the State Legislature has not yet begun and the fate of the funding for them is unknown.