The Greater Lawrence Community Partnerships for Children  (CPC)  program grew out of the Chapter 188 early education program initiated by the School Improvement Acts of 1985  and was funded through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care  until a new Dept of Early Education and Care was founded in 2004. Programs developed under Chapter 188 were primarily public school preschool programs that integrated young children with special needs and enhanced kindergartens. The program required a local advisory council that included other early care and education providers, parents, and child care resource and referral agency representation. To further the goal of developing a statewide system of early care and education and to administer new funds provided by the FY 1993 state budget, the program was revised and renamed. In FY 2006, amendments to M.G.L. Chapter 15, Section 15, Section 54 were made that changed eligibility criteria. Children served with any new funds were to be preschool-aged children of working families earning under 100% of the state median income and a sliding fee scale was required. The  CPC Program became the preschool component in the implementation of the Education Reform Acts of 1993.  

CPC is a statewide comprehensive program that works with centers and family child care providers that offer developmental programs for pre-school aged children and their families.  Our programs offer a combination of safe, high quality part-day/part-year and full day/full year programming for preschool aged (2.9-5years) children of working families or parents in training or educational programming. Comprehensive early childhood services offered through our partnership includes early childhood education and literacy, information and referrals, social services, special needs support, nutrition, transition supports, parent /child advocacy, parent and teacher education and involvement. The CPC has three councils, one in Lawrence, the second in Methuen and the third with the Andover/North Andover communities.

All participating programs are, or are in the process of becoming accredited through the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) or for providers? obtaining a CDA. Grant funds are used to support the process of both NAEYC/NAFCC accreditation.

Grant funds support Teacher training and literacy initiatives in Lawrence, Methuen, Andover, and North Andover. In addition, the CPC provides Mental Health consultations to programs and providers in Greater Lawrence and Haverhill through Family Service, Inc and MSPCC.

As of 2010, funding for income eligible child care was transferred from the CPC programs to the Child Care Resource and Referral agencies.  CPC is transforming into a Coordinated Family and Community Engagement program.  The process involves consolidating programs funded through the Dept. of Early Education and Care such as the Parent Child Home Program, the Joint Family Support Program and the Mass Family Network along with community agencies serving children from infants through age fourteen. We are offering the same supports for accreditation which now suggests the COA process and the QRIS. We offer scholarships for teachers pursuing higher educational degrees from the Associate's level through the Master's degree level, offer Mental Health consultations to programs/providers and families and are using third party payments for direct Mental Health services. Through our council members, we are able to offer play groups to families, leadership and advocacy training to parents, workshops to teachers and families, outreach to teen parents, the homeless and the underserved populations in all of our affiliate communities. Our objectives are:

Objective #1:  Increase knowledge of and accessibility to high-quality early education and care programs and services for families with children prenatal through school-age.

Objective #2: Promote family education, engagement and literacy.

Objective # 3:  Facilitate collaboration and community planning between local early education and care partners and other community stake holders or partners.

Objective #4: Provide support and information to families with children transitioning between and among early education and care settings, home and school.

Objective #5:  Families and educators have access to comprehensive services to support their children's healthy development at home, at their early education and care program and in the community.

Close collaboration with Early Literacy, Parent Child Home Program (PCHP), Public School Systems, Adult Learning Centers, Early Childhood Collaborative, Early Intervention, Family Services, Inc., higher education institutions etc. insures delivery of services from birth to adulthood.