Learning & school readiness
Language, curiosity, confidence and friendship — the foundations your child carries into kindergarten.
Early Childhood · Infants, Toddlers & Preschool
A great start shouldn’t be out of reach.
Care you can trust. Learning they can grow from.
A place to grow. A team to grow with.
Caring teachers, real learning, and healthy meals every day for children 6 weeks to 5 years old — at no or low cost for families who qualify. And when your child joins TEAM, your whole family gets a team behind you.
Primera infancia · Bebés, niños pequeños y preescolar
Un gran comienzo no debería estar fuera de su alcance.
Maestros cariñosos, aprendizaje real y comidas saludables todos los días para niños de 6 semanas a 5 años — sin costo o a bajo costo para las familias que califican. Y cuando su hijo se une a TEAM, toda su familia tiene un equipo a su lado.
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A place your child can feel safe enough to explore.
60+ years
Showing up for Connecticut families since 1965.
627
young children learned, grew, and got ready for school with us in 2025.
109
children with special needs and disabilities received individualized support.
1,313
children ate better through healthy meals and Family Child Care partnerships.
2025 TEAM Annual Report
More than childcare
Your child gets a classroom. Your family gets a team.
Leaving your child with someone new is a big step. We know what you’re trusting us with. That’s why every child at TEAM is supported in how they learn, how they’re growing, how they eat, and how they feel — every day.
And because TEAM is a community organization with services well beyond the classroom, enrolling your child can also open the door to support for you: housing, jobs and training, nutrition, diapers, and more.
- LearningCuriosity, language and confidence for kindergarten.
- HealthScreenings that catch what matters early.
- NutritionBreakfast, lunch and snack, every day.
- FeelingsSocial-emotional growth with adults they trust.
- Your familyA partner for your own goals, too.
What your child experiences
A day built around how young children actually learn.
Through play, stories, conversation, movement and making things together — with the same caring adults every day, and routines your child can count on.
Healthy development
We pay attention to how your child is growing — and help connect you with support if they need it.
Meals, together
Breakfast, lunch and snack are part of every day, at no additional cost to enrolled families.
Caring professionals
Qualified teachers build steady, trusting relationships — so your child knows who will be there each morning.
The team around your child
Your child’s teacher is only the beginning.
Behind every classroom is a group of specialists who know your child and your family, and talk to each other. No single teacher — and no single parent — has to figure everything out alone.
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There is a team around you. One coordinated team.
Support for the whole family
Someone in your corner from day one.
Every enrolled family can be connected with a Family Support Specialist — a real person who gets to know you, listens to what you want for your family, and helps you find the resources to get there. You set the goals. We walk alongside you.
PHOTO · Parent in conversation with a Family Support Specialist — candid, seated side by side, not a handshake
When you tell us…
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Every child belongs
Your child doesn’t need to fit a mold to belong here.
TEAM welcomes children of all abilities — including children with developmental delays, disabilities, or health needs, and children whose needs are just starting to show. Different needs don’t change whether a child belongs here. They change how we support them.
We work together with
- You
- Your pediatrician
- Birth to Three
- Your local school district
- IFSP & IEP planning
109
children with special needs received services supporting school readiness in 2025.
142
individualized health referrals and supports came from preventive screenings.
Family stories
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Start your own family’s story — Start Your Pre-Application →“{{ story.quote }}”
Hear it from a TEAM family.
In their own words: what it felt like to choose TEAM, and what changed for their family.
We’ve been learning alongside families for more than 60 years.
TEAM was there at the very beginning of Head Start. Since then, generations of Connecticut children have started school ready — and their parents have had a partner beside them. That experience is in every classroom today.
Find the right program
The practical details.
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Valley / Milford serves families in Ansonia, Bethany, Beacon Falls, Derby, Milford, Oxford, Orange, Seymour, Shelton & Woodbridge. Waterbury serves Waterbury families.
Your next step toward enrollment
Start Your Pre-Application
It takes two quick choices. The pre-application is free and doesn’t commit you to anything.
Choose a region and language to begin
What happens next: after you submit, our team will reach out and ask for a few documents to confirm eligibility. See the documents we’ll ask for (PDF)
Have a question first?
It’s okay if you’re not ready to apply yet. Our Early Childhood team can answer questions about locations, ages, availability, or how enrollment works. Hablamos español.
Call us(203) 736-5420[Confirm dedicated Early Childhood line + hours]Thank you. Someone from our Early Childhood team will get back to you. [Response-time copy TBD]
Questions parents ask
Good questions. Straight answers.
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