Community Action Plan
Dear Early Childhood Community,
Thank you for your support and participation in our Local Needs Assessment (LNA) that was conducted in May/June 2026. The results have been analyzed and will be a large part of what guides our Community Action Plan (CAP).
Local Needs Assessment Summary
What Families Told Us — and What Comes Next
As part of our mission, ECCO (the Early Childhood Community Organization of Lower Fairfield County) checks in with families across Greenwich and New Canaan to understand what's working well for parents of young children and where support is still needed. Here's what 189 local parents shared with us. For more detail see the executive summary.
What's Working Well
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72% — of families rate their child's program as very good or good.
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Kids arrive at kindergarten ready to learn — thanks to strong programs across both towns.
What Families Are Asking For
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Full-day, affordable care — more infant & toddler spots, especially in New Canaan, where none currently exist through Early Start.
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More availability — with waitlists and hours that don't match work schedules cited as top challenges.
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Support for social-emotional development — was the #1 topic parents want more help with.
What We're Doing About It
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Expanding care — advocating for more Early Start infant/toddler slots.
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Building one trusted online hub — of parenting resources and referrals.
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Increasing opportunities for parent learning/connection — through workshops with New Canaan Library and community partners.
By the Numbers
23
Early Start infant/toddler slots total — all in Greenwich, all full
108
families named cost as their top childcare challenge
78
families asked for more help with social-emotional development
189
families shared their voice in this year's survey
Have thoughts to share, or want to get involved? Reach out to your ECCO Liaison lowerfairfieldearlychildhood@cestrumbull.org — we'd love to hear from you.
Navigating Your Preschooler's Transition to School
Community Action - Parent Education Event at New Canaan Library
Our next Community Table meeting will be:
October 8, 2026
2:00pm
St. Paul's Day School
200 Riverside Avenue
Riverside, CT 06878
Hope to see you there!