Families have access to children's books, parenting books, games, kits, DVDs, & CDS through the CFLC library. The CFLC Resource Library is housed at KidsPlay Children's Museum for a more centralized location to the downtown area of Torrington. The history of the CFLC Resource Library is as follows...
In 2010, the idea was formed to open a resource library within an existing school library at Forbes Elementary School, Torrington, CT. From this idea the Community Family Learning Center was created in 2011 and housed within the Forbes School Library.
A large grant from Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation was awarded to the Community Family Learning Center to begin collection curation of parenting books, audio CDs, DVDs, kits, and educational games.
The parenting library was housed in the school library within a small library office and was only open one evening a week. The school was closed on the weekends and most evenings.
The CFLC offered many programs in the evening in the school cafeteria and in the library. Programs included parenting programs such as Conscious Discipline and family programs such as a Thanksgiving Feast and Karate lessons from a local Karate Dojo.
The CFLC continued to offer programs and resources from 2011-2016. In just a couple of years, the library space became too small for the collection of books and materials that were being purchased by other grants. Access to the library became problematic as parents could only access the library once a week. The library was not accessible during the day or on weekends. The CFLC library was also housed on the third floor with the elevator on the other side of the building making it difficult for families with strollers and people with mobility issues to attend programs and access the library.
In 2016, the KidsPlay Children's Museum director came to a Torrington Public School Readiness Council Meeting to share information about KidsPlay with educators. Paula Gajewski, the CFLC coordinator, asked to meet with the director the following week and a collaboration between KidsPlay Children's Museum and Torrington Public Schools was formed.
Benefits for the CFLC Resource Library included more space, more accessibility to the public, easy access, and a great place to hold programming for parents and families. Benefits for KidsPlay included a strong collaboration with a community partner, an on site resource library, and increased visits to KidsPlay from CFLC programming and connection to the public school system.
In May of 2016 the Community Family Learning Center Resource Library began the move to KidsPlay Museum. Grants were awarded to the CFLC to provide furniture and shelving for the space.
The CFLC Grand Opening at KidsPlay took place on February 15, 2017. In attendance was the Torrington Mayor, KidsPlay staff and board members, Torrington Public School staff, community partners, and families.
The CFLC Resource Library has been operating at KidsPlay Children's Museum since 2017 and continues to serve the Torrington Public as well as surrounding towns. The mission has been and continues to be an early intervention, relationship focused, collaboration between school, community partners, and families.