The Great Give Starts May 1 - Please Support The Alliance!
For the second year, the CT Early Childhood Alliance will be participating in The Great Give, a 36-hour giving campaign, starting May 1, through the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. We would appreciate your financial support, to keep the Alliance moving forward, and continuing to advocate for Connecticut's young children and families.
We are a 17-year-old statewide membership and advocacy organization committed to improving developmental outcomes in the areas of learning, health, safety, and economic security for children ages birth to eight.
While the giving event starts at 8 a.m. on May 1, early donations are welcome! Our link is here - https://www.thegreatgive.org/organizations/ct-early-childhood-alliance
Attend the Alliance Meeting and Find Out About the Looming Background Check Crisis
If you've never been to an Alliance meeting, if you haven't been in awhile, we invite you to attend the May 2 meeting!
The next Alliance meeting is Thursday, May 2, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., at Graustein Memorial Fund in Hamden. Among our guests will be a representative from the Office of Early Childhood to talk more about fingerprinting and background checks. When it comes to background checks, this is a looming crisis, as everyone will be required to have a completed background check by September 30, 2019. With a three-month backlog already, this could create a real crisis in hiring new staff.
We will also have Monisha Gibson, Director and CEO of the Maritime Odyssey Preschool in Norwalk, who will present on how she creates partnerships in the community and the model they use with families that attend her center's program.
The legislative session ends on June 5, so there is a flurry of activity happening over the next few weeks. We will discuss where bills of interest stand at this point, and what action needs to be taken.
You can attend three meetings before deciding to join the Alliance!
SAVE THE DATE: Advocacy Day Scheduled for May 23
SAVE THE DATE AND REGISTER! Please join the Alliance, along with our partnering organization the CT After School Network, for Advocacy Day 2019! It's Thursday, May 23, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., in Room 310 of the State Capitol. More details to come, as we know which bills remain alive and what is happening with the state budget. (Please wear yellow - it's been our unity color all session!) To RSVP, click HERE.
Legislative Update: Appropriations Releases Budget Similar to Governor's Plan
The Appropriations Committee Budget came out today. The only change they made to the Governor's budget was a $1 million increase for the Birth the Three program to account for additional case load. That means that the committee is not supporting the additional costs that would go with any of our three Care4Kids bills - SB931 increasing payments to providers, SB 933 increasing income eligibility or SB934 allowing parents to use C4k for the hours they are in school.
What remains to be seen is if the Finance committee adopts a revenue package that will support the Appropriations spending plan. Stay tuned.
DESPP Offering Saturday Fingerprint Collection for Child Care Providers
From the OEC: The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) is piloting a Saturday fingerprint collection program. There are three dates coming up - May 4, May 11, and May 18. It will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1111 Country Club Road, Middletown, CT. After those dates are complete, DESPP will evaluate whether or not to continue offering Saturday collection dates.
Child care providers, staff members, volunteers, and household members who need to submit fingerprints for an OEC background check can take advantage of this option for Saturday fingerprinting. The OEC will also be announcing additional options for fingerprinting soon.
Support for the Alliance comes from of our members and our funders: Connecticut Community Foundation, CT Early Childhood Funder Collaborative, a project of CT Council of Philanthropy; Community Foundation of Greater New Britain; Community Foundation for Greater New Haven; and the Partnership for America's Children.