Norwich is an urban community located in New London County in southeastern Connecticut. The population was 35,777 in 1998, with 26% under the age of 18. English is a second language for 7.3% of the population.

Norwich is classified as an economically distressed area. In 1998, per capita income was $20,816 and median family income was $37,152. In 1990, the poverty rate was at 11.88%.

Norwich has 13 public schools: 10 elementary schools, two middle/intermediate schools and one alternative high school servicing approximately 45 at-risk students. Norwich Free Academy (NFA), a private school, serves as the city's high school. In addition to NFA are four other nonpublic schools in Norwich.

According to the Strategic School Profile 1997-98, the ethnic breakdown of students is: American Indian 1.9%, Asian American 2.1%, Black 14.4%, Hispanic 8.0%, and White 73.6%. In 1997-98 school year, 44.2% of the students enrolled in public schools in the district received free or reduced-priced meals. The percent of kindergarten students who attended preschool, nursery school or Head Start in 1997-98 was 52%.

The area is experiencing a shift in the labor market. Pfizer Pharmaceutical is expanding its labor force but requires employees with a higher level of education to meet the demands of pharmaceutical research, computer-related clinical research, manufacturing skills, marketing knowledge and business support services. Defense contractor, Electric Boat, a division of General Dynamics, which was a major employer of skilled blue-collar workers, has been downsizing for 10 years. Currently, many residents work at one of the area's two Native American casinos, the Mohegan Sun Casino and the Mashantucket Pequot Foxwoods Casino, which provide thousands of service-oriented jobs. The base pay for non-administrative positions is typically low with a considerable portion of wages derived from tips. Consequently, wages fluctuate for many casino employees.

Casino employment has also led to an increased need for second- and third-shift childcare. According to 1998 Infoline figures, there are 17 licensed home- or center-based childcare facilities and two Head Start programs in Norwich. Three facilities, offering only a total of 63 childcare slots, expanded their working hours to accommodate second-shift casino workers.

The key players in the Norwich CFI/School Readiness Council include: the City of Norwich Departments of Social Services and Youth & Family Services, City Council and City Manager, Norwich Public Schools, Adult Education and the Board of Education, Uncas Health District, Norwich Family Resource Center, United Community & Family Services, the Otis Library and Children's Department, Project LEARN, Three Rivers Technical Community College, University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System, Pooh Corner, Thames Valley Council for Community Action (TVCCA), Infoline Child Care Liaison, Project Independence, and community parents. Norwich has a strong interest to maintain an open communication relationship with the New London CFI group. Hence, the New London CFI Coordinator is part of the Norwich CFI/School Readiness group and was instrumental in bridging information gaps for Norwich.

Norwich has a City Council/City Manager form of government. The city's 10 precincts each elect a representative to sit on the Council. The Council President is elected at large. The Council sets legislative policy and approves the city's financial budget for program expenditures. The Council appoints the City Manager, who oversees all of the city's departments providing program services, strategic planning, redevelopment, and economic development. The City Manager's Office also serves as the liaison in intergovernmental relations. The city's elected Board of Education oversees the educational needs of the community. The City Council determines the final budget for the Board of Education spending. Norwich's political leadership is predominantly Democratic.

In the early years of implementation, the Norwich Public Schools curriculum director was the lead person on the Steering Committee, producing reports and attending retreats and meetings. During an initial citywide planning phase, Norwich held community focus groups to establish the needs of the parents and community members. The focus groups identified two major concerns related to children welfare issues: the need for additional childcare facilities and the problem of inadequate transportation for working parents, particularly for second and third shifts at the casinos. Norwich CFI decided to focus on expanding the city's childcare resources.

In 1997, Norwich and the City of Groton jointly applied for School Readiness funding. They were awarded $100,000 to implement their plans to improve school readiness for young children. To meet grant requirements to develop a School Readiness Council, Norwich combined their CFI Collaborative with interested School Readiness community members to create the Norwich Children First Initiative/School Readiness Council. In 1998, a CFI coordinator was hired.

Norwich has had several successes due to CFI. The city worked with Groton on a joint school readiness application and collaborated with New London on resources and lessons learned. The Norwich CFI worked with the Public School system and the University of Connecticut on establishing a childcare program located at one of the city's elementary schools. Norwich also worked with the Child & Family Agency and parent groups on establishing a Parent Leadership Training Institute. Collaboration also occurred on school readiness legislation, an Even Start grant and the Municipal Childcare Bond Project.

The pre-CFI atmosphere of the community tended to be one where individuals, agencies, businesses, schools, and city government worked independently of each other accomplishing their various successes. Communication and collaboration among them was minimal. The CFI process has brought the city, schools, agencies, and businesses together discussing community needs and establishing a plan to improve the quality of life for children.

The process that allows for open communication is simple: key players within the community meet monthly to discuss current issues affecting families and children. The overall plan of work, developed and revised annually, is used as a guide for the group to maintain focus on past issues, decisions made and accountability in completing tasks. Norwich is a community committed to striving for excellence in providing programs supporting families and their children.

Challenges involved the nature of working with volunteers and only a part-time coordinator. The volunteers lost interest over time unless they had a strong level of commitment to the work plan, mission and vision of CFI. A shifting CFI membership made it difficult to maintain consistency. The annual revision of the work plan was time-consuming and at times overwhelming. The lack of a full-time coordinator meant delays in meeting timetables.