The Manchester Early Childhood Collaborative was established in 1997 in response to a statewide initiative that increased the number of preschool and child care spaces available to Connecticut residents. The primary goal of the Council is to support the positive development, education, and well-being of young children -- ensuring that every child in Manchester starts school "ready to learn."
The Town of Manchester as fiduciary, in partnership with the School Readiness Council, annually applies for the Connecticut State Department of Education School Readiness Grant and Quality Enhancement Grant.
School Readiness funds may be used to purchase spaces for preschool children from NAEYC accredited center-based programs or programs seeking NAEYC accreditation, including for-profit or not-for profit preschool programs, public school preschool programs, Head Start programs, and state funded day care programs.
Quality Enhancement Funds may be used to assist early care and education programs in addressing quality standards and/or expand comprehensive services for children and families.
Annually, the Town of Manchester, CT receives sealed proposals in the General Services office, Lincoln Center Building, 494 Main Street for both School Readiness Grant Program and the Quality Enhancement Grant. The Request for Proposal packages are available on the Town webpage at http://generalservices1.townofmanchester.org/index.cfm/bids/. The Town is an equal opportunity employer and requires an affirmative action policy for all of its contractors and vendors as a condition of doing business with the Town, as per Federal Order 11246.
School Readiness Council Minutes
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About Us
The Manchester Early Childhood Collaborative, formally known as the Manchester School Readiness Council, was established in 1997 in response to a statewide initiative that increased the number of preschool and child care spaces available to Connecticut residents. The primary goal of the Collaborative is to support the positive development, education, and well-being of young children -- ensuring that every child in Manchester starts school "ready to learn."
Mission
The Manchester Early Childhood Collaborative is a diverse group of community members who strive to support the families of young children, ages prenatal to age eight by:
- Advocating for the advancement of young children's learning
- Encouraging quality preschool services, programs and policies to promote the overall wellbeing of Manchester’s children
- Communicating about school readiness among families, schools and the community, and
- Developing programs that support families with young children.
Check out our Brochure: MECC Brochure
Sign up for the MECC Monthly E-Newsletter
Interested in being a Parent Ambassador for Mecc: Sign Up Here
Membership
Collaborative members represent a wide variety of organizations as well as community members from our town, but they have one purpose in common: the best interests of children and their families. Our members bring a wealth of expertise to the Collaborative to help influence the work we do.
Meetings
The Manchester Early Childhood Collaborative meets regularly and all meetings are open to the public.
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