Alliance Partner Releases 2008-2009 CT KIDS COUNT Book

One simple phrase has become synonymous with early care and education this legislative session: “How are the children,” for it is the state of the child that shows the overall state of being for a community.

And it was a good lead into the release of the Connecticut Association of Human Services (CAHS) CT Kids Count Book, “Three on a Seesaw: Balancing Early Care and Education, Families and the Economy” on Feb. 24.

“It's a real measure of how the children are doing,” said Rep. Beth Bye, who gave the opening remarks at the event. “If we asked that [question], it would help us all reflect on how the children are.”

The CAHS report 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.

“Early childhood education [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.”

“In reality, child care and early education programs overlap more than people realize,” said Jude Carroll, Connecticut KIDS COUNT Director.

The reports makes recommendations concerning early care and education, including the need to maintain current ECE funding levels, or make minimal cuts that will not affect children; make design and regulation changes so ECE programs operative effectively; increase teacher education and training; increase and equalize reimbursement rates; increase financial support of infant-toddler programs and align eligibility of Care 4 Kids and School Readiness, so that parents who earn up to 85% of the state median can receive both services.

In reviewing Governor Rell's budget, Birth to Three funding has been increased, while School Readiness, Head Start, state-funded centers and Care 4 Kids were all level-funded for 2010 and 2011. Cuts were made in areas such as family resource centers, quality enhancement and the Early Childhood Cabinet. Eliminated were the Preschool Quality Rating System, Longitudinal Data Systems and the child care newsletter, “All Children Considered.” Just three days prior to the report's release, Governor Rell eliminated the Governor's Early Childhood Research and Policy Council by Executive Order. The budget could continue to change and programs previously unaffected could find themselves facing cuts. That is why it is important to continue to address the clear objective of ECE serving as a social safety net.

After reviewing the report highlights in a PowerPoint presentation, three early care and education panelists spoke on a variety of early care and education issues, with all three agreeing that money needed to be invested in actual programs.

“Research is important, but only important if you use it,” said Walter Gilliam, Ph. D, Director of the Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy at Yale University. His suggestion was to invest dollars wisely into programs.

“If you're going to attract quality teachers, we need to put money into it [direct programs] and find other places to cut,” said Amy Stephens Cubbage, who works for the National Center on Early Childhood Education, University of Virginia.

“I think that's how legislators have to proceed,” added Sherry Linton, CAHS' Early Childhood Policy Analyst. “We have to keep the safety nets for families – to keep families above water.”

Several CAHS members looked at the long-term economic commitments of ECE. Before the economy's downturn, ECE received significant support from state policymakers.

“We talk a lot about creating and maintaining a strong workforce,” said Carroll. “To make sure the current workforce is strong, we need quality child care programs and adequate child care subsidies; to make sure the workforce of the future can fill high-skill jobs, we need quality early care and education. Without a unified system, neither children nor their working parents are adequately served.”

“Connecticut policymakers need to maintain and increase their investment in early care and education,” said CAHS Executive Director Jim Horan. “This is one way to weather the fiscal storm and build the economy.”

CAHS, a statewide nonprofit organization that works to end poverty and to engage, equip, and empower all families in Connecticut to build a secure future, is a partner of the CT Early Childhood Alliance. A copy of the report is available at www.cahs.org or www.earlychildhoodalliance.com