Governor Announces Early Childhood Initiative

02.07.2013
Issues & Policies

Gov. Malloy this week announced the creation of a new state agency to “transform early childhood care,” and proposed increasing educational cost share funding by $152 million for 117 Connecticut towns over the next two years.

“We have an obligation to each and every student in our schools to provide them with a quality public education so they can compete in the 21st century economy,” said Gov. Malloy.

Early Childhood Office

According to the governor, the new Office of Early Childhood (OEC) will tie together many aspects of the earliest years of a child’s education, from birth to age five, and will:

  • Improve academic programs and teacher training
  • Increase access to early care and education programs
  • Provide a comprehensive, collaborative system for delivering improved programs and services to children up to age five and to their parents. 

Last year, the legislature passed Public Act 12-116, which added 1,000 new pre-kindergarten school seats primarily in high-need, low-performing communities.

It also required the State Department of Education to develop a quality rating and improvement system for home-, center- and school-based early childcare and learning.

Consolidation

The central role of the OEC is to consolidate related state programs that were once housed in five separate agencies, in an effort to improve the continuity and reach of early childhood programs.

Seventy-one current state employees will shift over to the new office and four new positions will be created—an executive director and three staff positions.

The OEC will require a $370,000 investment in fiscal year 2014 and will use the Department of Education administrative and back-office support.  

ECS Increase

The governor’s proposal to increase educational cost share funds includes a $50.7 million increase in aid for fiscal year 2014 and a $101.5 million increase in fiscal year 2015. 

Additional funds will be provided to 117 cities and towns and will also focus on  Alliance Districts—30 schools districts that educate approximately 41% of all Connecticut students.

This proposal is part of the governor’s biennial budget for the next two fiscal years and will also maintain level funding to the state’s remaining cities and towns. 

CBIA has long been supportive of early childhood programs as positive initiatives to help prepare children for successful lives and careers. As legislators consider the governor's budget proposal, we urge them to be mindful of the overall increase in spending and to look for non-priority areas for spending reductions.

For more information, contact CBIA’s Bonnie Stewart at 860.244.1925 or bonnie.stewart@cbia.com.

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