Latest Reports

This report examines state child care center licensing regulations and the oversight of those regulations. NACCRRA scored and ranked states, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense (DoD) on 10 regulation and 5 oversight benchmarks. The average score for states was 83 out of 150 points—the equivalent of an F. No state earned an A. Only DoD earned a B, and one state (District of Columbia) earned a C. Thirty-three states earned a failing grade. Once again, DoD ranked first for both regulations and oversight. No other state is on the top 10 list for both elements. Connecticut ranked in the bottom 10 states in terms of oversight and ranked 30th in a combined score of regulation and oversight. Out of a possible 50 points, Connecticut scored 13 points for an oversight score and out of a possible 100 points, CT scored 68 points for a regulations score. CT scored 81 points out of a possible combined score of 150. 

A presentation discussing the purpose of, the scope of, funding mechanisms, help for state and local government, non-profits, individuals and businesses; a timeline, the release of funds, transparency and accountablility and the state's implementation of ARRA are all included.

Three documents give parents and caregivers of young children a few tips in how to delicately discuss the economy without upsetting or stressing the child and how to manage their own stress.

The attached documents include information compiled by the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) regarding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as it pertains to early care and education.

This four-page summary explains the challenges a national consulting group found with data management and access to information and offered recommendations to remedy the issue. Also attached is the March 2009 progress report and a summary chart of current implementation of a key recommendation by the consulting group.

Faced with the need to create a competitive workforce and dramatically improve the quality of the country's education system, states have embraced an aggressive policy agenda to better prepare students for postsecondary education and careers. States have made enormous progress over the past three years in developing robust student-level longitudinal data systems that can track individual students from pre-k into postsecondary education. There are 10 essential elements in creating a highly-effective longitudinal data system and there are 10 actions that states must take to ensure the effective use of that data.

CT Voices for Children examines Governor Rell's FY 2010 budget for early care and education programs and outlines recent trends in spending and state policy in this area over the last few years.

This report provides information on the impact of two early literacy programs (Minnesota Reading Corps and Words Work) funded through the state legislature through the Minnesota Department of Education.

This guide, prepared by Sen. Christopher Dodd's office, compiles information on federal programs and funding opportunities available to individuals, communities and and businesses in Connecticut as a result of the recovery package. Child care is discussed on page 34 of the document, followed by education. Also attached, you will find a paper prepared by Louise Stoney and Anne Mitchell about ways to use stimulus funding from many sources to support QRIS. Many of the suggestions are not specific to QRIS.

The CAHS report, KIDS COUNT Data Book, Three on a Seesaw, highlights the importance of early childhood programs for the present and future economies. It notes that a two-generational strategy is needed by policymakers as they attempt to balance the state's budget and prepare for the future. ECE is founded on a two-generational strategy, the report states. While child care and the Care 4 Kids program help parents work, early education is designed to promote positive social-emotional, physical and cognitive development. Historically, people who are unfamiliar with the care and education of young children think of these two tracts as separate. Researchers and early care and education teachers, however, acknowledge that the separation is artificial – high-quality child care is high-quality developmental education.