Norwich decided to increase the number of home-based childcare providers through recruiting and training. The program was managed by the Norwich Children First Initiative with support from Infoline and Project Learn.

In April 1996, the Norwich Collaborative was awarded $40,000 from the Department of Children and Families to increase the accessibility and availability of home-based childcare providers. The program was funded through the Family Preservation/Family Support Initiative of New London County. United Community & Family Services and the Norwich Social Services Department obtained the grant as part of the Norwich CFI Collaborative. Two part-time recruiters were hired to recruit, support, and train the providers. The Infoline's Childcare Recruitment Project and Project LEARN supported the two recruiters' efforts.

Over 50 people attended a recruitment session in July 1996. All agencies associated with home childcare licensing collaborated to provide information to the community. The program ran from April through September. Twenty-three people completed home childcare licensing training and 20 new licensed home childcare providers emerged through the process.

All participants received an educational curriculum series called "Good Beginnings Series" to aid them in providing quality care. The participants received CPR and First Aid training. They also learned about licensing requirements and how to provide quality care for children.

The providers have all learned what is involved in being a licensed family childcare provider. Those are skills that will remain with them. There is no current plan to repeat the training.

There were no major obstacles to this project. Challenges included childcare and transportation for participants in the training program.

The exact numbers are not available, but we know through CFI members that many of the individuals who completed this recruitment process now work outside their homes at other local community childcare centers. Indirectly, Norwich CFI has increased qualified childcare personnel even though not all participants continued to provide home-based care. Families now have additional childcare choices offering higher quality care.

Norwich Public Schools Even Start Family Coordinator, Norwich Family Resource Center, (860) 823-4286 or 823-4217, Fax (860) 823-4369