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Logo for: City of Meriden, Connecticut

Early Start (formerly School Readiness)

Rhonda Knight, MA.Ed, Early Start/Early Childhood Coordinator

Phone: 203-630-4222 

Email: rknight@meridenct.gov

Click here to be redirected to Meriden Early Learning Connection meeting agendas and minutes (under Early Start).

 

Join our Parent Ambassadors on June 10, 6pm for a presentation on Birth to Three!

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meriden Early Learning Connection (MELC) provides affordable, high-quality early education and care for children from infancy through age five who are not yet eligible for kindergarten. Our CT Early Start programs support children’s growth and development, ensuring they are ready to enter kindergarten and become life-long learners.

Program Highlights

·         Age-Appropriate Classrooms: Full, half, and quarter time care options for infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children, tailored to each child’s developmental needs.

·         Evidence-Based Curriculum: Play-based and literacy-focused activities designed to promote school readiness.

·         Skilled Early Childhood Staff: All staff are trained in current early childhood trends and foundational practices.

Affordable Sliding-Scale Fees: Fees are determined by a sliding scale based on gross annual income and family size, making high-quality care accessible to all families.

Click on the links below to learn more about the current child care locations in Meriden. Please call each center to schedule a visit.

Catholic Charities: St. Stanislaus School Readiness - 81 Akron Street -  203-238-0845

Easter Seals Children's Academy- 125 Broad Street - 203-686-1438

First Congregational Preschool - 62 Colony Street - 203-634-8886

Viviana Soto Family Childcare Home, 365 Spring Street, (203) 500-0132

Gloria Montoya Family Child Care Home, 59 Washington Ave Meriden 06451, (203) 898-1854
 
Leida Zambrano Family Child Care Home, 86 Reynolds Drive Meriden 06450, (203) 868-9950
 
Beronica Vasquez Family Child Care Home, 154 Preston Ave Meriden 06450, (203) 619-4968
 

YMCA Programs: 

 The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is the accrediting body for child care centers world-wide.

Have questions? Please fill out our Google form below and we will contact you!