11/19 meeting of the Speaker's Task Force on Children in the Recession

The Speaker's Task Force on Children in the Recession held its third meeting on Thursday, November 19, 2009, at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. It took testimony from state and national experts on the following topics:

• The State of Working Connecticut
• Unemployment and Welfare in a Recession
• The American Dream and Hopes for College
• Youth: Gaps and Opportunities

Watch CT-N coverage of the meeting and read meeting documents

NOTE: The Task Force, as part of its plan to hear testimony from residents of each of Connecticut's five congressional districts, will hold a hearing for the 1st District at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 5, at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. Directions

The 1st District, represented in Congress by John B. Larson, includes these communities: Barkhamsted, Berlin, Bloomfield, Bristol, Colebrook , Cromwell, East Granby, East Hartford, East Windsor, Glastonbury, Granby, Hartford, Hartland, Manchester, Middletown, New Hartford, Newington, Portland, Rocky Hill, Southington, South Windsor, Torrington, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Winchester, Windsor, and Windsor Locks.

Children in the Recession Task Force meets Thursday, November 19

The legislative task force formed by House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan to address the needs of Connecticut children and families impacted by the recession will meet at 10 a.m., Thursday, November 19, in Room 2-E of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. Agenda (PDF) | Task force home page | Children in the Recession blog

Commission on Children meets Tuesday, Nov. 10

The meeting begins at 10 a.m. in the conference room of the Commission's offices, at 18-20 Trinity Street in Hartford. Here's the agenda (PDF).

Children of Incarcerated Parents

In the Fatherhood section of our website, we've posted a report from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) that gives state governments a framework for helping the children of incarcerated parents. It points to research showing that such assistance can result in reduced recidivism for the parent, healthier development of the child, and fewer cases of incarceration across generations of families.

Children in the Recession Task Force holds first meeting

The Speaker's task force met for the first time on Tuesday, and there's lots of material from it. You'll find it on the Commission on Children's website. We'll be adding to it for the next few days, so check back!

Children in the Recession Task Force to meet Tuesday

The legislative task force formed by House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan to address the needs of children affected by the recession will meet at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, September 29, in Room 2-C of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. The Connecticut Network plans to cover it; check the CT-N website for program times.

Meeting agenda

More on the task force

A sample of student writing & artwork about 9-11

Immediately after the terrorist attacks of September 11, the Commission on Children began an annual practice of asking students throughout Connecticut to put their thoughts and feelings about the disaster into writing and artwork. As time went on, we also asked them to react to Hurricane Katrina and other matters affecting their world view. You can find all of that work on the Terrorism and Natural Disasters page of this website, but to mark the eighth anniversary of 9/11, we thought you'd be interested in samples -- from each of the towns that participated in the project -- focusing on that day. Most of it was submitted in 2006 and 2007. You'll find it here.

Come to our SNAP E&T workshop for cities and regions on September 8

You'll find out about opportunities for federal employment-training funds under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. You'll also hear progress reports from officials of communities that already are participating. The meeting will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. in Room 1-E of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.

Download the agenda (PDF) | Learn more about SNAP E&T

Packet materials and other information will added to the website as the meeting approaches.

We've published our August newsletter

You'll find it here.

To read previous issues and sign up to receive future issues in your e-mail, go here.

Read our new blog: Children in the Recession

New York Times columnist Bob Herbert said it best: "With so much attention focused on the banking system and arguments over bailouts, the plight of America’s children in this severe economic downturn is getting short shrift." That's why we've begun highlighting news articles and other information on how children are faring in the crisis through our new blog, Connecticut Children in the Recession, at childrenintherecession.blogspot.com. (There's also a link on our home page.)

Check back often -- we're updating daily.

Read our June newsletter

You'll find it here.

Class of 2009 graduates from PLTI

With their families and state officials looking on, more than 170 parents from across Connecticut graduated on June 24 from the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI), a family civics initiative of the Commission on Children.

More information and photos

Commission Meeting

The Commission on Children met today. Here's the agenda (PDF).

Among the actions taken:

-- Approval of minutes from the April 14 meeting (PDF)

-- Election of officers for 2009-2010. The following slate was elected unanimously:

• Chair: M. Alex Geertsma, M.D.
  
  
• Vice-Chair: George Coleman
  
  
• Secretary: Mary Grace Reed
  
  
• Treasurer: James P. Cordier (All Commission members)

Read Our May Newsletter

You'll find it here.

Read previous issues

The Commission on Children at the Cutting Edge

For each dollar invested in it, the Commission on Children brings in more than three dollars from federal funds, foundations, and private sources. That's just one of the accomplishments outlined in this document, updated in May 2009. Read it here (PDF)

More about the Commission

Next meeting of the Connecticut Childhood Obesity Council

The home page of the Council has been updated to include the next scheduled meeting:

May 28, 2009, 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.
Room 1-B of the Legislative Office Building, Hartford

The Council was created by the Commission and state Department of Public Health (DPH).

The latest from the Capitol

Commission on Children Legislative Director Elizabeth Brown has prepared a summary on the status of important children's legislation pending before the General Assembly. Read it here.

And here is the Commission's public hearing testimony on those bills.

An evaluation of PLTI and Parents SEE

A research group has submitted an evaluation of two Commission-led parent leadership programs, the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) and Parents Supporting Educational Excellence (Parents SEE). Read the executive summary here.

Meetings page updated

Draft minutes for the Commission's April 14 meeting have been posted, along with Commission-approved minutes of the January 13 and March 10 meetings.

Contact information for PLTI sites updated

Contact information for all 14 sites

What's PLTI?

MEDIA ADVISORY: Children and Families in Recession: The Policy and Budget Implications

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 10, 2009

Contact: Kevin Flood
860) 240-0078
Kevin.Flood@cga.ct.gov

News: The Commission on Children will hold its second in a series of discussions on how the recession is affecting Connecticut’s children and families. The speakers will address housing, food security, family health and wellness, youth employment, and community-level responses.

When: 10 a.m. to Noon, Tuesday, April 14, 2008

Where: Room 2-A, Legislative Office Building, Hartford

Speakers:

Carol Walter
Executive Director, Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness

Lucy P. Nolan
Executive Director, End Hunger Connecticut!

Dr. M. Alex Geertsma
Chair of Pediatrics, St. Mary Hospital, Waterbury

James Boucher
Future Workforce Division Director, Capitol Workforce Partners

Representatives Marie Kirkley-Bey of Hartford, Toni Walker of New Haven, and Lile R. Gibbons of Greenwich

** Speakers will be available for one-on-one interviews before and after the event.**

Children and Families in Recession: The Policy and Budget Implications

Join us for a discussion on housing, nutrition, wellness, and youth employment in the current economy and state budget process.

10 a.m., Tuesday, April 14
Room 2-A, Legislative Office Building, Hartford (Directions)

Download the agenda (PDF)