Welcome to the website for the Greater Fairfield Region Chapter (GFRC)
of Connecticut Association for the Education of Young Children.
We are the local chapter of the state (CTAEYC) and national (NAEYC) organizations.
Our Mission
Our Vision
The mission of GFRC is to support, promote and advocate for high quality early childhood care and education throughout our community for young children, families and professionals. We accomplish this mission by offering a variety of opportunities to meet other professionals in the field and to network with people who work in a diverse group of early childhood settings. These opportunities include workshops and forums that promote networking and individualized learning through self-reflection.
GFRC’s vision focuses on three broad goals:
Goal 1. Facilitating improvements in the professional practice and working conditions in the field of early childhood education by creating professional development opportunities/resources and by setting and promoting standards of professional practice;
Goal 2. Improving public understanding and support and funding of high-quality programs in centers, homes, and schools serving young children and their families through public initiatives and public awareness and engagement activities; and
Goal 3. Building and maintaining a strong diverse, and inclusive organization that enables GFRC to achieve goal 1 and 2.
Our Values
o Garnering the commitment, loyalty, and enthusiasm of people by providing opportunities for participation, contribution, and building consensus on critical issues;
o Valuing and respecting diverse viewpoints and perspectives in all aspects of the practice of early childhood education;
o Promoting inclusion, access, and nondiscrimination in the full range of programs serving young children, their families, and adults preparing to work in early childhood;
o Designing programs and services that support individuals and collective efforts to improve all early childhood programs that operates with a variety of sponsors, funding sources, and structures;
o Encouraging and supporting a strong network of Chapters who provide leadership and professionals growth opportunities at all levels;
o Supporting the development of individuals’ professional competence and attitudes through education, inspiration, and modeling;
o Designing learning experiences and products that promote recognition of early childhood professional expertise;
o Building and maintaining a strong organizational structure and presence to provide leadership, coordination and services.
Board Members
President: Dana Gorman
Secretary: Carol Hammond
Fiscal Officer: Clarissa Moore
Vice President of Programs & Services: Brooke Nilsen
Vice President of Membership Services: Rosalie Witt and Joan Parris
Vice President of Chapter Relations: Kathy Stewart
At Large Members: Jennifer Wood-Heslin, Maureen Murphy, Marianne Kay, Beth Nickerson, Marianne Kay, Laurie Franzino, and Lisa Bond
Dear GFRC members,
My name is Dana, and I am thrilled to be the new President of the Greater Fairfield Regional Chapter of the CTAEYC. I am currently the Educational Director of The Community Cooperative Nursery School and the teacher of The Fours Class, as well. I have been there for 19 years. Previous to that, I taught Kindergarten in Greenwich, CT, for nine years.
In 2017 I went to a welcome event for GFRC of CTAEYC. I left inspired to work with the passionate, dedicated educators trying to elevate our field and help teachers of young children and directors continue to be lifelong learners. I became the Vice President of Professional Development, working to bring the high-quality professional development for which our chapter is known and appreciated. Working as a part of this group, I am continuously learning and being inspired. I want to invite you to do the same.
Our field needs our voices. Our meetings are open to everyone-they are chapter meetings. I invite you to attend and see for yourself. You do not need to be a board member. This year the meetings will be on Zoom as we continue to be mindful of safety and everyone’s time. If you’d like to know how to become a member of NAEYC, please click here. If you’d like to be alerted about chapter meetings, please like the CTAYEC Facebook page. Please encourage your colleagues to join us as well.
I hope to “see” you there.
Sincerely,
Dana Gorman
GFRC President
Board Meetings
Board meetings will be held monthly and are open to all.
You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Oct 20, 2021 @ 4:30 PM
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Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZArdu-gqz0qGtwT-aaF7RLBsDU6kIjJkJJu
You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Nov 18, 2021 @ 4:30 PM
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Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcuceutqj8jEtX-z1yHcENf7FGHyksePnmf
You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Dec 14, 2021 @ 4:30 PM
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Register in advance for this meeting:https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkdOqhqzwoGt0cOWrFu4LOlyBGO_gB_eQt
The full list of 2020-2021 Board Meeting dates and Zoom registration links can be found here:
Professional Development
Dear Member of GFRC of CTAEYC,
As your local representatives of NAEYC, our goal this year is to continue to focus on advocacy and make sure that our stories are heard by those who represent us. Our rise into essential workers' status creates a national platform for us. The hard work is still ahead of us. We will continue to partner with CTAEYC and the other state chapters. Please stay tuned for professional development opportunities coming out this fall.
Register for Pathways to Empower: Click HERE
Public Policy
Membership
We collaborate with the CTAEYC Public Policy Committee to monitor legislative and administrative policy developments that affect young children, their families, early childhood educators and early care professionals, on the local, state, national and international level. For more information, visit the following websites:
Interested in getting all the latest public policy updates? Sign up for NAEYC Children’s Champions.
If you are not a member please click here to join NAEYC online.
Please be sure that you select CTAEYC as your state affiliate.
If you are already a member, please be sure to check when your membership expires and keep it up to date.
In order to get the discounted rate at our workshops you need to be a member.
(Remember that is another benefit for becoming a member).
For more info on membership: Check out our NEW membership video!
o Join or Renew NAEYC Membership