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Decades in the Making
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What Hartford’s early childhood strategy can teach other Connecticut communities
By Felicia Famularo
The National League of Cities (NLC) has released a new toolkit designed to help local governments invest in and sustain early childhood systems that meet the needs of children, families, and providers. Titled Decades in the Making: How Four Cities Are Creating Lasting Early Childhood Impact, the toolkit profiles Boston, Hartford, Jacksonville, and Seattle — each with a distinct approach and long-term commitment to early learning and care.
Hartford is the only Connecticut city featured, and for good reason. It has become a national model for how a city can structure early childhood initiatives that are both data-informed and deeply grounded in community partnerships. Hartford’s work offers other Connecticut towns and cities a useful road map, but it also serves as a reminder that starting this work doesn’t require huge budgets or sweeping reforms. It does require leadership, persistence, and a clear strategy.
Building the Foundation: Hartford’s Early Childhood Infrastructure
Hartford was the first municipality in Connecticut to create a citywide Early Childhood Blueprint and to establish a municipal department focused exclusively on early childhood education. That early investment set the tone for two decades of sustained attention to children’s needs.
The city’s early childhood infrastructure is coordinated through the Department of Families, Children, and Youth, which oversees a network of community engagement bodies, data systems, and workforce partnerships. At the center is the Mayor’s Cabinet for Young Children, a cross-sector advisory group that includes parents, city department staff, nonprofit leaders, and education officials. This cabinet coordinates with the city’s School Readiness Council to streamline decision-making and maintain strong community input.
What makes Hartford’s structure noteworthy is how it blends formal governance with deep community participation. The city’s Early Learning Parent Cabinet, launched in 2022, is a parent-led body that helps shape program design and policy discussions. Together with the Mayor’s Cabinet, it ensures that parent perspectives are heard by holding frequent meetings to discuss pressing issues that families face, such as early intervention services and child care availability.
Data as a Strategic Asset
Hartford has placed data at the center of its early childhood work. Through partnerships with CTData and the Hartford Data Collaborative, the city has developed systems to track participation, measure outcomes, and guide continuous improvement.
The city’s Early Childhood Data System contains complete records on all children enrolled in publicly sponsored child care programs, as well as those enrolled in other state-financed programs with parental approval. This creates a comprehensive picture of the city’s early childhood landscape, helping identify service gaps, monitor kindergarten readiness, and align resources more effectively.
During the pandemic, Hartford used its data partnerships to better understand why enrollment was dropping and how families were making decisions. One major finding: A growing number of families were choosing informal care arrangements, such as home-based providers or care from relatives and friends. In response, the city expanded support for its Staffed Family Child Care Network and strengthened relationships with kith-and-kin caregivers.
Hartford is also investing in long-term data alignment. The city is transitioning to PowerSchool, the system used by Hartford Public Schools, to connect early childhood and K-12 data. This will help city and school leaders better track student progress over time and evaluate the long-term impact of early learning investments.
Supporting the Workforce That Supports Children
Any successful early childhood initiative depends on the people doing the work. Hartford has invested heavily in developing a pipeline of well-prepared educators, administrators, and home-based providers.
In 2018, the Mayor’s Cabinet for Young Children conducted a comprehensive workforce survey with 277 participants. The results highlighted challenges that many municipalities will find familiar: low wages, a shortage of substitutes, difficulty recruiting new educators, and a workforce that often doesn’t reflect the demographics of the children it serves. That data continues to shape Hartford’s strategies.
The city has partnered with Capital Community College and other institutions to offer tuition and textbook assistance to early educators seeking credentials. It also provides individualized coaching and professional development, particularly to fam- ily child care providers. Through its Staffed Family Child Care Network, Hartford supports both new and established homebased providers with training, business skills, and access to city resources.
This network is especially important in addressing equity and access. Home-based care is often the most culturally responsive and geographically accessible option for many families. By strengthening this part of the system, Hartford ensures that more children receive quality care in environments that reflect their communities.
Lessons for Municipalities
Hartford’s work isn’t without challenges, but it offers a number of practical insights that any Connecticut city or town can use: a CONTINUED FROM 9
Start small, but start now.
Hartford didn’t build its system overnight. It began with a few staff, some working groups, and a commitment to include the community. Over time, momentum can be built by starting with small, achievable goals, such as mapping daycare providers or creating a parent council.
Focus on relationships.
Sustained progress requires internal collaboration (across departments) and external partnerships (with families, schools, nonprofits, and funders). Hartford’s relationships with CTData, Capital Community College, and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving have all been critical to its success.
Build leadership that lasts.
Changes in mayoral or city council leadership can disrupt even well-functioning programs. Hartford has worked to maintain continuity by embedding early childhood priorities in city departments, codifying working groups, and developing champions inside and outside of City Hall.
Center families in decision-making.
Hartford didn’t treat community engagement as a public relations step. It brought families into governance and paid attention to what they said. This builds trust and makes programs more effective.
Make the case across political lines.
Early childhood policy isn’t just about kids. It supports workforce participation, economic development, and public health. Hartford has framed its work in terms that resonate broadly, such as job readiness, return on investment, and neighborhood stability.
Final Thought: Early Childhood Is Local Government Work
If there’s one clear message from the NLC’s new toolkit, it’s that early childhood policy belongs in the local government toolbox. While state and federal investments are essential, the design, delivery, and oversight of early learning services often happen at the city or town level.
Hartford demonstrates that, like roads, schools, or public safety, early childhood systems can develop into long-lasting infrastructure when a city makes a long-term commitment, forms solid relationships, and pays close attention to its community.
