School is out and summer is here! There are lots of activities happening in town.
Our friends at the Southington Public Library have started their summer reading program and Bread for Life is providing summer meals for children, see their flyers below.
Have you registered your child for summer camp or a summer program yet?
There are several State licensed all-day summer camp programs in Southington:
* Camp Korp - pre-k through middle school
* FAST Camp - grades 1-8
* Leadership Martial Arts - ages 5-12 - A few spots available each week.
* YMCA Camp Sloper Outdoor Center - grades K -9
* YMCA Naciwonki Summer Adventures - grades K-6 and Preschool Summer Adventures for age 3-5
Registration for the summer of 2025 will open over the winter, so mark your calendars if you want to get into a specific program.
There are also part-time theater, art, music, and enrichment programs and options at some childcare centers.
Learn more in the ECCS Resources guide in the Summer Programs for Kids section.
The Southington Recreation Department has opened the wading and swimming pools at Recreation Park and splash pad and swimming pool Memorial Park for the season. Their free Kid's Entertainment Series shows are held on Tuesday evenings beginning at 6:00 pm at the Community Pavilion on the Southington Drive-In, view the schedule. Registration for their youth programs opened in the spring, and some still have space available.
One upcoming change that we discussed at the ECCS Annual "State of Early Childhood in Southington" presentation is that the total licensed childcare capacity for children 5 and under in Southington could increase by almost 200 spots by this fall.
- State legislation will change the ratios of teachers to children at centers for toddlers over 2-year-olds from 1:4 to 1:5 and school–age teacher-children ratios increase from 1:10 to 1:15.
- Cub Academy recently opened in a new center on North Main Street and currently has openings.
- The Learning Experience anticipates opening by the end of the summer at their new facility on West Street and is currently scheduling tours.
- My Little Rascals on North Main Street is preparing to reopen as an under-3 year old center and is now enrolling.
We are curious to see how this increased availability impacts families and childcare providers. Will more parents go back to work or will children be moved between programs? The ECCS will continue to track child care openings at programs in town.
At our ECCS Community Cafe, we talked about the impact of screen usage on children and families. The presentation slides and links to some of the resources we discussed are now posted. There was good conversation about the struggles that parents are having when children use screens. Attendees saw a sample activity kit that an ECCS Parent Ambassador uses with her children when going to restaurants or shopping instead of handing over a phone, and also received materials to make their own kits.
The Southington Public Library has kicked off their summer reading program and has scheduled special activities.
Summer can be fun but also hard on parents for a variety of reasons.
In addition to the Bread for Life Summer Lunch program for children, there are other food and financial assistance programs in town.
The ECCS has a list of resources for addressing grief and death. For young children. temporary behavior changes, including anxiety, acting out, or regression, such as bed-wetting or clinginess, are normal reactions when someone close to them dies.
For mental health concerns, the ECCS has a list of resources and a link to the Southington Behavioral Health Resource Directory.
- Southington's Senior Community Health Outreach Coordinator, Holly Hansen, LMSW, can be found at the Library, Calendar House, Farmers Market, community events or reached at 860.604.7448 or hrhansen@wheelerclinic.org.
- Connecticut's Mobile Crisis Intervention Services serves children and adolescents experiencing a mental health crisis. Trained mental health professionals from across the state can respond immediately, face-to-face or by phone, to help manage the child’s behavioral or emotional crisis. This could include a child threatening to harm themselves or others and uncontrolled anger or aggression. Call 2-1-1, then pick 1 for crisis and 1 for mobile crisis. http://www.empsct.org/
- The Talk It Out Line is for parents and caregivers who need someone to listen, to understand, and to talk your feelings out., reach them at 1-833-258-5011 or http://www.talkitoutct.com/.
Whatever difficulty you or your family may be facing, we hope you find the support you need. There are additional programs listed in the ECCS Resource Directory.
ECCS at the Southington Farmers Market
The Southington Farmers Market is on the Town Green every Friday from June 21 to September 20 from 3 to 6 pm. The ECCS will be there twice a month. Stop by and ask questions, say hello or pick up a fine motor skill item for your child.
The Southington Public Library will also be at the Farmers Market for story time every week at 3:30.
Car Seat Safety Check
Save the date for the ECCS Car Seat Safety Check event with the Southington Police Department on Tuesday, August 21 from 4 to 7 pm at the Calendar House. If you need your car seat checked before then you can reach out directly to the SPD non-emergency number to request an appointment.1) Follow us on your favorite social media platforms and then like, comment, or share so your friends see our posts too!
2) Forward this email to a friend or colleague.
3) Volunteer your time as a board member or advocate.
4) Help with one-time or periodic donations.
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Our mailing address:
Early Childhood Collaborative of Southington
PO Box 210
Southington, CT 06489-0210