• Supporting family child care and center-based or school-based providers at the same time requires flexibility, intentional design, and layered engagement. While a single approach will not work for all providers, LGPs can use a combination of shared and tailored strategies to reduce barriers and increase access. Some suggestions include:
  • Vary timing and format – Offer the same support in multiple formats (i.e., repeated sessions at different times, short virtual options, or recorded components) to accommodate providers with different schedules, staffing patterns, and ratios, especially family child care providers who often cannot leave during operating hours.
  • Use blended or tiered engagement – When topics are broadly relevant (i.e., child development, family engagement, quality improvement), offer shared sessions. Pair these with targeted follow-ups or small-group supports that address the unique needs of family child care or center-based settings.
  • Leverage trusted intermediaries and partnerships – Partner with organizations that already work closely with family child care providers (i.e., CT’s Staffed Family Child Care Networks, peer leaders, or TA providers) to co-host sessions, extend outreach, or provide supplemental support that aligns with LGP priorities.
  • Bring support to providers – When possible, use on-site, neighborhood-based, or community-hosted supports rather than requiring providers to travel. Pop-up sessions, shared local venues, or integrating support into existing gatherings can increase participation across provider types.
  • Be explicit about flexibility and choice – Clearly communicate that providers are not expected to engage in every offering and that LGPs are intentionally providing multiple pathways to access support. This helps reduce provider fatigue and frustration.
  • Use provider feedback to adjust – Regularly ask providers which formats, times, and topics work best for them and use that feedback to refine scheduling and delivery over time.

• The Community Table is the primary and required forum for community engagement and shared planning within the LGP model. There is no separate leadership team or parallel body that replaces or operates above the Community Table. The goal is broad participation, equity of voice, and shared responsibility, not delegated authority. 

• Community Table meetings must be scheduled at a time that is convenient for families. LGPs are also encourage to create welcoming, family-friendly meeting structures (for example, offering child care or meals) and to explore meeting locations that are more convenient or comfortable for families. 

• The Community Table does not require a formal chairperson. The LGP model does not establish the Community Table as a chaired governance or decision-making body.

• The LGP Liaison is responsible for drafting agendas, coordinating logistics, and facilitating Community Table meetings to ensure they are inclusive, structured, and aligned with LGP goals and requirements. However, the Liaison is not intended to function as a chair or sole leader of the Community Table.
• Community Table meetings are designed to support shared discussion, collaboration, and collective problem-solving among members. LGPs may invite Community Table members to support specific meeting functions (e.g., co-facilitating a discussion, presenting information, or guiding planning conversations), but this does not create a separate leadership structure or transfer accountability. All Community Table members and visiting members of the public are intended to have equity of voice.
• Community Table agendas should be structured, accessible, and discussion-focused, not presentation-heavy or decision-oriented.
• Effective agendas may include:
  • A clear purpose tied to LGP goals, the Local Needs Assessment (LNA), or the Community Action Plan (CAP);
  • Time for shared learning or information-setting (brief and focused);
  • Dedicated discussion prompts that invite input from parents, providers, and community partners;
  • Opportunities to surface needs, gaps, and emerging issues;
  • Clear documentation of themes, feedback, and next steps.
  • Agendas should prioritize participation over reporting and be designed so that all members, especially parents and community representatives, can engage meaningfully.
  • Items can be presented in flexible formats that meet the needs of the community or communities served by the LGP.
• Community Tables are not required to use Robert’s Rules of Order, and they are not intended to function as formal governing or legislative bodies. Community Tables are designed to support inclusive discussion, shared planning, and community engagement, not parliamentary procedure or formal decision-making.
• Community Table meetings do not require formal public posting under open meeting laws. However, Community Tables are expected to operate in ways that promote openness, transparency, and accessibility. In practice, this means:
  • Meetings should be scheduled and communicated in advance to Community Table members, families, providers, and other stakeholders;
  • Agendas should be shared ahead of time to support meaningful participation;
  • Meetings should be structured to allow dialogue, feedback, and equity of voice; and
  • LGPs should be thoughtful about how community members and families can participate.
• The LGP Fiduciary remains accountable for ensuring Community Table requirements are met, and the Liaison remains responsible for facilitation and coordination. The emphasis is on shared participation rather than formal leadership roles.

• Community Table membership must reflect the demographics of the community or communities served (race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, education level, etc.).
• At least 60% of Community Table members should reside in the community or communities served by the LGP.
• LGPs serving multiple communities must ensure that Community Table membership reflects equitable representation across the communities in their region.
• Community Table membership should represent multiple organizations, sectors, and lived experiences and should not be limited to a small group of organizations or agencies. 
• Community Table membership must be documented, maintained, and periodically reviewed to ensure it remains representative.
• Required representation does not mean a single individual can “cover” multiple roles indefinitely.
• The Community Table is expected to reflect who is in the community, not only who has traditionally held leadership roles. Your Community Table may include additional members not detailed in this response.
• Broad, intentional membership is essential to ensuring the Community Table functions as designed: an inclusive, community-facing forum that informs planning, elevates family voice, and strengthens coordination across systems.

• State statute requires that the Community Table include a broad, cross-sector group of stakeholders who reflect the community and the systems that touch the lives of young children and families. Membership must go beyond traditional early childhood leadership and intentionally include voices that bring different perspectives, lived experience, and access to systems. At a minimum, the Community Table must include representation from the following groups. Examples are provided to illustrate roles LGPs may not initially think to include.
  • Parents and Caregivers – Parents and caregivers must be meaningfully represented, not tokenized. Examples may include:
    • Parents of infants and toddlers, not only preschool-aged children
    • Parents using family child care or informal care arrangements
    • Parents with children with disabilities or developmental concerns
    • Parents who are new to the community, multilingual families, or families experiencing housing instability
  • Local Education Providers – Education representation should extend beyond district administration. Examples may include:
    • Preschool coordinators or early childhood specialists
    • Special education staff including 0-3 or related service providers
    • School-based family engagement staff
    • Infant, toddler, and preschool teachers from community programs, family childcare homes, and childcare centers
  • Healthcare Providers – Healthcare representation should reflect early childhood and family health, not only hospitals or pediatric practices. Examples may include:
    • OB/GYNs, midwives, doulas, lactation consultants, or prenatal care providers
    • Community health center staff
    • Behavioral health or developmental screening partners
  • Workforce or Job Training Entities –  Workforce representation connects early childhood access to family economic stability. Examples may include:
    • Workforce development boards
    • Adult education or ESL providers
    • Community colleges or training programs
    • Employers with large early childhood–aged parent populations
  • Local Homeless Education Liaison – This role is required and often overlooked. Examples may include:
    • The McKinney-Vento liaison for the school district
    • Staff supporting families experiencing housing instability
    • Community-based partners working on housing access for families with young children
  • Smart Start Representative (where applicable) – Where Smart Start is active, representation must be included. Examples may include:
    • Local Smart Start coordinators or program leads
  • Other Community Organizations Serving Children and Families – This category is intentionally broad and should reflect local context. Examples may include:
    • Public library staff (e.g., children’s librarians)
    • Parks and recreation staff offering youth or family programming
    • Family resource or navigation organizations
    • Food access, transportation, or disability support organizations
  • Individuals with expertise in early care and education – Remember, experts will look different across communities and should include individuals whose expertise includes lived experience and community connection. Examples might include:
    • Local barber who runs a lending library from his shop
    • Foster parent from your community
    • Birthing or newborn care instructor/provider
    • Coordinator of local parent group
  • Elected or appointed officials – There are many elected or appointed officials in communities! Who in your area has frequent contact with young children and their caregivers?

• The Community Table is the required and primary structure through which the LGP conducts community engagement, shared planning, and coordination. It is not optional, supplemental, or advisory to another body. Within the LGP model, there is no separate leadership team, executive committee, or decision-making subgroup that replaces or operates above the Community Table.
• The Community Table exists to bring together parents, providers, and cross-sector community partners in a single, inclusive forum to:
  • Interpret and validate Local Needs Assessment (LNA) findings;
  • Shape local priorities and goals reflected in the Community Action Plan (CAP);
  • Elevate family and community voice;
  • Support cross-sector coordination; and
  • Provide feedback on implementation and emerging needs.
• All planning, discussion, and community-facing coordination that falls within the LGP’s scope is expected to occur through the Community Table, rather than through a smaller leadership group or parallel structure.
• The Community Table is not:
  • A funding allocation or slot-purchasing body;
  • A regulatory or compliance authority;
  • A program approval or oversight council; or
  • A leadership or executive body that makes decisions on behalf of the broader group.
  • A stand-alone resource or technical assistance group operating separately from the LGP’s broader implementation work.
• The LGP Liaison is responsible for facilitating Community Table meetings and ensuring they are structured, inclusive, and aligned with LGP requirements. The LGP Fiduciary remains accountable for ensuring that the Community Table is established, convened, and operated in accordance with statute, contract, and implementation guidance.
• Community Tables are intended to reflect broad participation, transparency, equity of voice, and shared responsibility, rather than delegated authority or hierarchical leadership.
• Community Tables function as the primary planning and engagement body of the LGP. The use of separate leadership or executive groups is not aligned with LGP requirements.

OEC Professional Training opportunities can be found on the website: Professional Development – Connecticut Office of Early Childhood

• Clear attendance expectations help reinforce roles and reduce confusion.

• • Fiduciaries are expected to attend:

• • • Contract onboarding

• • • Community Table meetings and related planning and/or community activities

• • • Required fiscal, compliance, and reporting-related meetings

• • • Quarterly meetings with Shine Early Learning

• • • At least the first 30 minutes of monthly Implementation Meetings

• • • Select Communities of Practice or other convenings as required by the OEC and/or Intermediary

• • LGP Liaisons are expected to attend:
    • All Implementation Meetings, technical assistance, and Communities of Practice as directed by the OEC and/or Intermediary
    • Planning, monitoring, Local Needs Assessment, Community Action Planning, and Community Table–related sessions
    • Quarterly meetings with Shine Early Learning
    • Meetings focused on day-to-day coordination, tools, or practice guidance
    • Other convenings as required by the OEC and/or Intermediary
  • Parent Ambassadors attend:
    • Required onboarding, training, and convenings specified in the SOW
    • All Community Table meetings and related planning and/or community activities
    • Communities of Practice, and other local and state-wide engagement activities
    • Other convenings or events as requested by their LGP Liaison, the OEC, and/or the Intermediary
  • Community Table members attend:
    • Community Table meetings and related planning and/or community activities
    • They do not attend fiduciary, contract, or compliance meetings unless explicitly invited for informational purposes.