Middletown is the county seat and the only city located in Middlesex County. It is located on the Connecticut River approximately 20 miles south of Hartford. It covers approximately 42.32 square miles encompassing regions of urban, rural and suburban areas.

In 1998, the population was 43,358 with 22% of the population under 18. In 1990, the poverty rate was 7.02%. In 1998 the median family income was $44,339 with a per capita income of $23,376. Both the population figures and the median income of Middletown have been increasing over the last 10 years. Middletown is a city poised for major growth and economic revitalization. Major employers include Aetna Life & Casualty, Pratt & Whitney, Connecticut Valley Hospital, Wesleyan University and Middlesex Hospital.

The Middletown Board of Education operates eight elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school. Middletown has seen a rise in its Mastery Test scores over the past five years, which has taken it out of Priority School status. In 1998 the fourth grade results show that 48% achieved goal in reading, 58% in math, and 40% in writing.

The number of children residing in Middletown who are eligible for Aid for Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) is 8.57%, down from 14.8% from the previous year. The number of free or reduced-price lunches for 1998 was 35.5%. Over 78% of Middletown kindergartners have had preschool experience. Only 3.7% come from homes where English is not the primary language.

The key players in the community include: the Mayor's Office; Middlesex Coalition for Children; Middletown Board of Education/Parent Resource Coordinator/Family Resource Centers; School Readiness Council; Middletown Health Department/Women, Infants and Children; Middlesex Memorial Hospital/Family Advocacy; Community Health Center/ Family Resource Center; Middletown Adult Education/Even Start; Russell Library; Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce.

The Board of Directors of the Middlesex Coalition for Children consists of the Superintendent of Middletown Public Schools; the Chairman of the Board of Education; the Chairman of the Middletown School Readiness Council; the CEO of the Middlesex Mutual Assurance Co.; the Associate Director of Upward Bound at Wesleyan University; the chair of the subcommittee on finance; a member of the School Readiness Council, Executive Committee and Executive Director of PIMMS at Wesleyan; the Parent Resource Coordinator for Middletown Board of Education; a parent and an outreach worker for the Middletown Housing Authority; a parent and entrepreneur; and the Coordinator for Middletown Children First Initiative.

Middletown is primarily a working-class city. The city government is a Mayor and a Common Council. The Mayor's office has been consistently favorable to children and the current administration has put children as a top priority. A recent Hartford Courant article reported that, of the city's population, approximately 24,000 are voters, with approximately 11,000 Democrats, 10,000 Independents, and 3000 Republicans.

The Children First Initiative in Middletown was initiated through Community Action for Greater Middlesex County. CAGMC was able, through extensive outreach, to bring the entire community together to participate in the initial Graustein Memorial Fund planning document. In 1998, the Middlesex Coalition for Children took over as lead agency for CFI. The Coalition, which began as a small group of child advocates in the early nineties, has become a child advocacy giant due to CFI, forging the way to develop new partnerships within the community.

The original collaboration that formed through CFI primed Middletown for the creation of the School Readiness Council. Many of the players of CFI put their energies and efforts into School Readiness.

Middletown has a long history of collaboration amongst its many agencies and service providers. Two of the most successful (other than Middletown CFI) are the Middlesex Area Interagency Council (MAIC) and the Child and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP).

MAIC is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to encourage the highest standard for the delivery of human services. MAIC is designed to promote and enhance cooperation and coordination of services as well as to evaluate needs. Membership includes social services, health facilities, churches, civic clubs, child and youth services, representatives from business, and elected officials. Meetings are held once per month in Middletown. MAIC is in its 30th year of operation.

CASSP is a system of care for children and youth with serious emotional disorders. CASSP is a child-centered and family-focused program that builds a system of care through the collaboration of community-based supports. CASSP began in 1992. Middletown CFI collaborates with both MAIC and CASSP, as well as with many other smaller collaboratives in town.