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When Children Need Mental Health Support, Waterbury Public Schools Call The Police

Waterbury Public Schools school buses
Franke Graziano
/
Connecticut Public Radio

A new report from Connecticut’s Child Advocate finds staff at Waterbury Public Schools have called the police hundreds of times on elementary and middle school students experiencing mental health crises.

Some of these children were as young as five years old.

This hour, we talk with the Child Advocate and the school district. What better tools should teachers and administrators use to help children in crisis?

We want to hear from you, too. Are you a parent with children in Waterbury Public Schools?

GUESTS:

  • Sarah Eagan - Child Advocate for the State of Connecticut
  • Jackie Davis  - Climate and Attendance Coordinator for Waterbury Public Schools
  • Dwayne Pittman Jr. - Waterbury Public Schools parent and the Vice President of Waterbury Strong Community Collective
  • Irene Parisi - Chief Academic Officer at the Connecticut State Department of Education
Lucy leads Connecticut Public's strategies to deeply connect and build collaborations with community-focused organizations across the state.
Carmen Baskauf was a producer for Connecticut Public Radio's news-talk show Where We Live, hosted by Lucy Nalpathanchil from 2017-2021. She has also contributed to The Colin McEnroe Show.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Fund the Facts

You just read trusted, local journalism that’s free for everyone, thanks to donors like you.

If that matters to you, now is the time to give. Join the 50,000+ members powering honest reporting and a more connected — and civil! — Connecticut.

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