Highlights of BCAC’s accomplishments

By educating our community, keeping the pressure on, working collaboratively, organizing and empowering stakeholders, BCAC has had a major role in these successes:

• $9.5 million brought to Bridgeport for children’s mental health services through the PARK Project
• The Bridgeport Housing Authority has increased the supply of affordable housing for 400 families by reducing vacant public housing units and waiting times for apartments.
• The City of Bridgeport hired a consultant to develop a housing plan to address the housing needs of all residents of Bridgeport.
• Bridgeport’s special education program has become more responsive to the needs of parents and students.
• The City has found funding for evening recreation programs for youth.
• BCAC’s work on school bus idling has led to adoption of policies to restrict school bus engine idling statewide.
• The Board of Education has made policy changes in school breakfasts and lunches, vending machines, physical education curricula, and recess policies to address childhood obesity.
• $9.1 million in new state education funding and $60 million for new school construction has come to Bridgeport as a result of BCAC’s Leave No City Behind Campaign.
• The Kith and Kin Initiative that BCAC coordinated has provided training to more than 250 informal, unlicensed home day care providers on health and safety, school readiness activities and social-emotional health of young children.
• The nationally-recognized Healthy Families Program was brought by BCAC to Bridgeport to reduce child abuse and neglect through intensive home visiting for high risk, first time mothers.
• BCAC's assessment of Bridgeport’s 29 Lighthouse after-school programs led to a community-wide planning process that brought together more than 300 parents and community leaders to address quality issues and funding challenges. Many recommendations were adopted by the city.
• School breakfast program for low-income children was started in Bridgeport.
• A lead-safe house has been established by Bridgeport Hospital where families can live on a temporary basis while a child is receiving medical treatment for lead poisoning.
• BCAC's annual State of the Child in Bridgeport report is widely praised and well respected by business leaders, child advocates and elected officials at the local and state level. This report has become a benchmark study credited with raising the awareness of children’s needs in Bridgeport and across Connecticut.

BCAC has been the driving force behind many of the advances for children’s issues within the greater Bridgeport area. Wherever the cause of children’s rights and needs has been advocated within this state, BCAC’s presence has been felt.

Rev. Anthony Bennett, Pastor of Mount Aery Baptist Church, Bridgeport