With dedicated staff and teddy bear turned book star, Danbury program prepares kids for kindergarten
DANBURY — When Danbury School Readiness began 25 years ago, it served 75 children in five classrooms, helping young children prepare for kindergarten.
Since then, over 10,000 preschool-aged children have come through the program, which funds more than 400 preschool spaces in 33 classrooms and serves over 1,000 children in the Danbury area.
With help from a dedicated staff — and most recently a beloved teddy bear that’s become a children’s book star — , the program has helped children get comfortable with the school environment, while supporting a largely low-income population.
Ninety-two percent of families enrolled in the program are from Danbury, while 83 percent of families earn less than 75 percent of state median income.