Training Institute Awarded Grant

HARTFORD — The Connecticut Children’s Trust Fund (CTF), an independent state agency dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect and ensuring the positive development of children, has awarded $370,0000 in parent leadership training grants to 31 nonprofit organizations across the state.

Among those receiving grants was The Early Care and Education Training Institute, Inc, based in Sandy Hook, which received $8,400 for its Parents Seeking Educational Excellence (Parents SEE) curriculum.

Funding for the grants comes from CTF’s Parent Trust Fund and the Connecticut General Assembly. The Governor’s Early Childhood Education Cabinet also provided $100,000 for grants in 2008 and 2009, an amount matched by the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund. Grant funds for 2008 were dispersed on January 1.

“As the Cabinet works to make sure children are ready to enter the school system, it is always looking for partners in the family leadership arena,” said Janice Gruendel, co-chair of the Governor’s Early Childhood Education Cabinet.

Through its Parent Trust Fund, CTF empowers parents and grandparents by offering them the training necessary to take an active role in government and community activities and become skilled advocates on behalf of children.

The Parent Trust Fund supports nonprofit provider organizations’ parent leadership training programs, which consist of 10- and 20-week courses that strengthen participants’ leadership and democracy skills through instruction on working with diversity, critical thinking, public speaking, forming coalitions, dealing with opposition, policy and municipal budgets and city, state and federal law.

Parents Seeking Educational Excellence (Parents SEE) is a half-day retreat and 36 hours of training on parent leadership in schools.

Since 1997, CTF has developed or funded more than 180 family service programs and initiatives statewide. For more information, visit www.ct.gov/ctf or Take5Parenting.com.