Weekly News - July 31, 2017
Budget Update
Now, focus returns to the budget. We are more than a month into the fiscal year without a budget. We need to continue to push for new revenue, because cuts alone would be devastating. Sheldon Toubman, staff attorney for New Haven Legal Aid, sat down with the CT Mirror, to talk about the need to raise revenue, so as not to shred the safety net. House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz said last week, prior to the Senate vote on the SEBAC agreement, that if the Senate approved the concessions package, the budget shortfall would be in the $200-$400 million range. CT Newsjunkie has more.
If you haven't spoken to your legislators recently, do it now. Don't assume your neighbor is doing it - legislators need to hear from all of us. We know for a fact that they're hearing a lot from the "no new taxes" folks and not hearing nearly enough from us. Tell them you support increased revenue, whether it's the income tax, sugar tax, tolls, an increase to the cigarette tax. We CANNOT make cuts only. There has to be a balance and this budget has to be fair and moral.
CABHN (CT Alliance for Basic Human Needs) will host a "part two update" on the state budget, with CT Voices for Children's Ray Noonan presenting. The event takes place Friday, August 4, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at 21 Oak Street, Hartford (building that houses CEA, first floor). There is no RSVP necessary.
CT Voices for Children Issues New Report: Accessing Quality in CT's Early Childhood System
CT Voices for Children released a new report on July 24, entitled "Accessing Quality in CT's Early Childhood System," which compares NAEYC accredited programs to Perry Preschool, Abecedarian, and CARE. Among the top findings:
- The best models for early care and education show significant enduring benefits in children’s test scores, graduation rates, employment, earnings, and other areas.
- High-quality early care and education has two key components: responsive classroom experiences plus wrap-around supports to meet the needs of the whole child and the family.
- Although most ECE programs in Connecticut do not include rigorous wrap-around supports, our state’s early childhood system as a whole includes those supports.
- Connecticut’s NAEYC-accredited ECE programs are roughly comparable to the best available models and bring an estimated $2.3 billion in long-term returns to the state.
- Despite recent efforts to improve the quality of care, increasing access to care remains a significant challenge, especially for low-income families.
Recommendations to Improve Quality and Access
- Preserve funding for wrap-around service programs for early childhood.
- Continue current Office of Early Childhood quality improvement efforts, with greater involvement of parents and ECE providers.
- Prioritize access to care for low-income families.
A few weeks prior to this report's released, CT Voices also released The Economic Benefits of High-Quality Early Care, in which the organizations estimated the value of current high-quality programs, the value CT would gain from high-quality care for all children who need it, and the value lost through keeping Care 4 Kids closed. The report was the topic (along with a teaser of the new report) on WICC 600 AM's "Coffee Break Chat." Click HERE to listen.
Read moreWeekly News - July 24, 2017
Budget Update
Legislators were summoned to Hartford on Monday for a veto override session, which is constitutionally-required. They voted to override one of the governor's vetoes, but they did not take on the budget. The House did vote to narrowly pass (78-72) the SEBAC agreement. It now goes to the Senate for its vote, expected July 31. CT Newsjunkie has more.
Many groups are keeping the pressure on and urging their legislators to increase revenue. During an event at the Capitol last Tuesday, five people, three in wheelchairs, were arrested and charged with trespassing for refusing to leave Governor Malloy's Office. They wanted to make it known that an austerity budget was not acceptable. They wanted revenue options seriously considered.
If you haven't spoken to your legislators, do it now. Don't assume your neighbor is doing it - legislators need to hear from all of us. We know for a fact that they're not hearing nearly enough from us. Tell them you support increased revenue, whether it's the income tax, sugar tax, tolls, an increase to the cigarette tax. We CANNOT make cuts only. There has to be a balance and this budget has to be fair and moral. Last Friday, Chuck Collins, an author, editor and child of the "one-percent," spoke on WNPR's "Where We Live," noting that those who can afford it, should pay their fair share in making the state a better place for everyone to live. To listen to the full interview, click HERE.
Also, if you've been more than a little confused with all the budget proposals out there, this helpful graph shows each of the proposals, including mini-budgets and caucus proposals, and plots out what each budget proposes in terms of the Office of Early Childhood, Birth-to-Three and Care4Kids.
Weekly News - July 3, 2017
Budget Update
CT Mirror and CT Newsjunkie have both reported on the close of the 2017 Fiscal Year and what's potentially ahead in the coming weeks and months in the state.
Richard Sussman, Director of Early Childhood Investments at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, penned an op-ed to the CT Mirror's CT Viewpoints, to urge the legislature to keep the Office of Early Childhood intact (the Democratic budget seeks to transfer the OEC to SDE).
And an op-ed in the New London Day urges lawmakers to avoid an austerity budget (a primarily cut-only and reducing taxes on wealthy Americans and corporations). Connecticut needs revenue as an option to balance the budget.
Time is running out to be heard. PLEASE contact your legislators!
CALL, EMAIL/FACEBOOK, WRITE, REPEAT
Messages below are suggestions – feel free to write your own!
1. Call your legislators (1 phone call each to your State Senator and State Representative)
Phone Message: My name is (your name). I am (director, teacher, parent) at (name of center) in (location). Please help to ensure Care4Kids is funded at $155 million in the budget. Care4Kids helps families afford child care. With the state facing a $5 billion deficit, you must raise revenue to make this happen. Please do that and fund Care4Kids.
Senate Democrats - 860-240-8600 or 800-842-1420
Senate Republicans - 860-240-8800 or 800-842-1421
House Democrats - 860-240-8585 or 800-842-8267
House Republicans - 860-240-8700 or 800-842-1423
2. Email your legislators. Thanks to the YMCA's for letting us use their easy tool. Fill out the form and an email will automatically be sent to your state legislators
3. Use Facebook's Town Hall app. Great how to use video Type this message (or write your own):
Please help to ensure that Care4Kids, the state’s child care subsidy, is funded. $155 million is needed to serve the same number of children as the program served in August of last year. Care4Kids helps children get early education and parents to work. With the state facing a $5 billion deficit, you must raise revenue to make this happen. Please do that and fund Care4Kids.
4. Twitter. Many legislators use twitter. Send them a tweet.
@insert your legislator Over 6,000 have already lost Care4Kids. More revenue needed to support Care4Kids in the budget. #fairbudget
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