Senate Approves Childcare Business Incubator Expansion

The state Senate unanimously approved legislation April 17 that expands childcare educator workforce initiatives and promotes the establishment of more childcare facilities.

SB 249 removes the sunset date from the initial pilot program and expands licensing for childcare business incubator centers to 20 additional towns throughout the state.

Legislation enacted in 2022 allowed the Commissioner of the Office of Early Childhood to issue seven licenses for nonprofits and community organizations to maintain a childcare business incubator center in Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury, Danbury, New Britain, and Stamford.

SB 249 grants the commissioner the ability to issue up to 20 additional licenses throughout the state.

The licenses allow nonprofits and community organizations to open childcare business incubator centers to help train, educate, and certify aspiring educators, who can then staff existing centers and open new facilities.

The model proved successful through the New Britain pilot program, where the YWCA trained 10 aspiring childcare educators in its first year of operation.

Affordability, Accessibility

The legislation comes at the height of a significant childcare affordability and accessibility crisis nationally and in Connecticut.

A recent United Way of Connecticut study noted there were more than 40,000 openings at centers throughout the state, but significant staffing shortages have led to long wait lists and limited access.

This past summer, CBIA president and CEO Chris DiPentima, who sits on the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Care, convened several member companies to discuss workforce development and employee recruitment and retention.

“The bipartisan support in the Senate is a step in the right direction to address affordability and accessibility.”

CBIA’s Paul Amarone

CBIA included solutions to the childcare crisis and its impact on the workforce in its 2024 Policy Solutions Agenda and testified in support of SB 249.

“The bipartisan support in the Senate to pass the expansion of childcare business incubator centers is a step in the right direction to address affordability and accessibility,” said CBIA’s Paul Amarone.

“The expansion will help educate and certify more aspiring childcare educators across the state and get them into the workforce to alleviate the shortage.”

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For more information, contact CBIA’s Paul Amarone (860.244.1978).