By Andréa Comer, Chief of Staff, Office of CT State Treasurer | September 2026
On a hot summer day at a community event, an engagement team member with the nonprofit Bridgeport Prospers sat with one of her parent ambassadors as she talked to another mom about their child’s future. As they discussed early education and barriers to access, the parent got excited as she heard about Connecticut Baby Bonds.
No barriers to access with this program, she learned. In fact, as long as the child was born on or after July 1, 2023, her child would automatically be enrolled in the wealth-building initiative. For Gabi Koc, Director of External Affairs for our office, that fact is a double-edged sword. While the Treasurer’s Office was committed to removing as many barriers to participation as possible, the team knew it was equally important that parents could access support beyond the monetary investment. They also understood that many families would be reluctant to engage with government for a host of reasons.
Historically, individuals in underserved communities who have relied on government assistance recount negative experiences that create distrust or hesitation when new programs are introduced. Since CT Baby Bonds is fundamentally different from traditional aid, State Treasurer Erick Russell wanted to ensure that the program wasn’t a missed opportunity for families to think about a better future for their children.
To address that challenge, the Treasurer’s Office established the Baby Bonds Ambassador Program, a statewide coalition of community leaders, service providers, and advocates that work together to support outreach and awareness around CT Baby Bonds. Having served their respective communities for some time, these organizations have existing relationships and are viewed as trusted messengers that allow them to connect directly with families.
Gabi developed and implemented the ambassador program, building on the groups that advocated for the law to be passed and expanding it to representatives from a host of sectors, from education to health to housing. Gabi approached the program’s development with intentionality, creating genuine connections with ambassadors. That commitment to building trust strengthened buy-in among the ambassadors and has been a key component of the network’s success.
With more than 160 participants, CT Baby Bonds Ambassadors share information on the program with community members, host informational sessions with their program participants, and foster connection within their organizations and neighborhoods. Their outreach in turn strengthens connections between our office and local communities, ensuring Baby Bonds families receive accurate information. They serve as the eyes and ears on the ground for us, providing real-time insight into community needs and experiences.
Gabi also hosts quarterly meetings with the ambassadors to exchange information on resources, challenges and opportunities around improving awareness and understanding. These convenings have already proven fruitful, with intra-state collaborations among ambassador organizations. Their feedback directly informs CT Baby Bonds’ wraparound services and communication strategies, ensuring the program remains responsive, accessible, and effective.
In recent months, Gabi expanded the Ambassador Network to include municipal liaisons and faith-based organizations as part of the grassroots outreach efforts. Along with the organizations engaged from inception, this enhanced engagement will complement a traditional mass-marketing campaign, allowing for deeper connection and resonance with target audiences.
For nonprofits like Bridgeport Prospers, which seeks to promote equitable well-being for the city’s children, their ambassador role was the result of an existing partnership with the State’s Office of Early Childhood Parents Connecting Parents (PCP) program. PCP engages families who may not be connected to early childhood education or learning opportunities to better understand the barriers they face and support increased parent engagement.
As ambassadors, the Bridgeport Prospers parent ambassadors regularly include Baby Bonds materials at outreach tables, engaging in one-on-one conversations with families. The dialogue allows them to connect parents to valuable resources while encouraging them to think about their children’s future and overall family well-being.
The success of this grassroots approach has been acknowledged by Wells Fargo, which recently provided a $60,000 grant to the Treasurer’s Office to provide microgrants to Baby Bonds Ambassadors. This funding, which is intended to cover the costs associated with convenings and other efforts, will provide much needed support to our partner organizations.
Through these collective statewide efforts, CT Baby Bonds has become much more than just an investment vehicle for children. It has built connective tissue among communities – and planted the seeds of restoring faith that government programs can contribute to a more equitable society.