Waterbury Bridge to Success

Since 2010, as the first cradle to career initiative in Connecticut, Waterbury Bridge to Success (BTS) Community Partnership has centered racial equity, youth and families from cradle to career to build capacity, transform power and sustain community. The BTS network includes more than 250 leaders who, like you, are dedicated to leading more inclusive and effective efforts to improve outcomes for youth and families in Waterbury. BTS is a proud member of StriveTogether and the Connecticut Cradle 2 Career Coalition.

Waterbury Bridge to Success envisions a community where all women, birthers, and their babies are able to thrive; supported by equitable, accessible, and culturally responsive systems of care. Through our #Day43 initiative, we work to improve maternal health outcomes in Waterbury by raising awareness, expanding access to resources, and strengthening support for families.

While our work centers the needs of Black women and birthers, who continue to face some of the greatest disparities in maternal health, we are committed to building solutions that uplift and benefit the entire community. We do this by bringing together healthcare providers, community organizations, and local leaders to address gaps in care and create lasting, community-driven change.

Through training, research, technical assistance, policy, advocacy, and education, we are helping to build stronger systems of support for families at every stage. Your support allows us to continue this work and create meaningful, lasting impact for mothers, babies, and families across Waterbury.

Who We Are

BTS is a cross-sector partnership of over 90 community and civic leaders, educators, and organizations. We work collectively to achieve equitable change by empowering Waterbury’s children, youth, and families, to be successful in school, career, and life.

To empower children, youth, and families, BTS focuses on four domains:

Early Childhood and Education — promoting kindergarten readiness.
Third-grade reading — promoting early literacy development and reducing summer learning loss
High school graduation — addressing youth’s development assets and reducing absenteeism
Career and college readiness — focusing on youth financial, occupational, and educational development.