September 15th, 2021 – Bridgeport, CT – Alliance for Community Empowerment opened a new childcare center in Bridgeport today, a needed resource in the West End community. The Gary Crooks Early Learning Center will provide neighborhood childcare with priority enrollment for the tenants of PT Barnum Apartments. The childcare center will offer services to children between the ages of 6 months to 3 years old. This location is the 14th Early Learning Center opened by Alliance across greater Bridgeport, Trumbull, and Stratford.

“We are so thankful for the opportunity to serve the community in a meaningful way as we recover from a pandemic,” said Alliance Executive Director, Dr. Monette Ferguson. “This is one way that we help move the needle on poverty, with quality early childhood education.”

There to cut the ribbon on the new childcare center was Congressman Jim Himes, Bridgeport Mayor Joseph Ganim, CT Early Childhood Commissioner Beth Bye, Alliance Executive Director Dr. Monette Ferguson, Alliance Board Chair Sharon Skyes-Jenkins, numerous city council members, and many more Alliance staff and members of the community.

“Alliance has really been making its mark in Bridgeport, Norwalk, and the surrounding areas,” said Alliance Board Chair, Sharon Skyers-Jenkins. “This childcare center is simply amazing because there can be early learning development for this age group that is sometimes marginalized and not get all the resources they need.”

“Children who don’t get a good start have a real hard time succeeding later in life,” said Congressman Jim Himes. “This is the solution. We talk about tax policy, we talk about jobs, we talk about training… getting kids when they’re born, getting them ready for school, getting them the vocabulary they need, is the solution.”