Connecticut After School Network began 25 years ago with a small group of school age child care program directors who met regularly to support one another and share ideas. As the only  Network staff member present at the beginning, I remember that the directors knew their staff needed training specifically designed for those working with school age children, but they found very little appropriate training was available.

With the help of UCONN Cooperative Extension System and the National School Age Child Care Alliance (now known as the National After School Association), the group founded the Connecticut School Age Child Care Alliance (CSACCA) and planned their first conference to meet the needs of their staff.  The people who volunteered as  the original Board of Directors were enthusiastic and spent many hours to make sure the needs of the after school community were served well by the organization. Dedicated volunteers through the years helped the organization to grow. A grant from the Department of Social Services in 1998, made it possible for  CSACCA to open an office and I was  hired as the Office Manager. After receiving a grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Connecticut State Department of Education ten years ago, CSACCA  took on new responsibilities, added additional staff and  was renamed the Connecticut After School Network.

Join us at the Network’s Fall Conference on November 8, 2014 to help us celebrate 25 years as the premier provider of professional development for those who work in the after school and summer programs in Connecticut and as the voice of the after school movement in our state, representing the children, youth, families, programs, and professionals at the statehouse and beyond.