July 6th Updates

Not Eligible for Medicaid and Struggling to Pay For Care? Share Your Story

The CT Early Childhood Alliance received a grant from the Connecticut Health Foundation to gather stories to help shine a light on the importance of Medicaid expansion. A modest increase allowed for approximately 4,000 additional parents to obtain it, but we know there is more need. Are you - or someone you know - not eligible for Medicaid, and struggling to pay healthcare costs through the Exchange, even with subsidies? Would you or someone you know be willing to share those stories? Please reach out to Jessica at [email protected] so we can begin the process.  

CTAEYC Hosting "No Small Matter" Screenings

CT Association for the Education of Young Children (CTAEYC) will be hosting three virtual screenings of the movie, "No Small Matter."

Our country is facing a crisis in early care and education. Structural racism and systemic inequalities are threatening the health and well-being of Black, Brown, and Indigenous children, their families, communities, and early childhood educators. The pandemic has made it perfectly clear; without childcare and early childhood education the country cannot function.  We are essential workers. Childcare needs to be the backbone of our nation's response to these disasters and the road to recovery.

We need to resolve these issues. No one local, state, or federal representative can genuinely know about the work we do until they see and hear it for themselves. Step One in our statewide advocacy effort will be the virtual screening of the "No Small Matter" documentary. Together, with local Fairfield, New Haven, and Hartford chapters, we are organizing three virtual screenings. The dates and times are listed below. We intend to invite as many elected officials as we can to attend these screenings. As we enter into an election year, we must step up and engage in the kind of advocacy that moves our state leaders to create new policies that build an early care and education infrastructure that sustains us now and beyond our pandemic status.  In these unprecedented times, our elected officials must realize that we need their leadership, advocacy, and support to move forward. (Click the graphic to watch the YouTube preview of "No Small Matter.")

Invite your colleagues and families to join in to seize this moment and embark on a movement to collectively make the case that we are the workforce behind the workforce. The future of our children, families, businesses, and state rely on us.

Early Childhood Zoom Meetings

The CT Early Childhood Alliance, CT Association for Human Services (CAHS), Middlesex Coalition for Children, and CSEA-SEIU continue to host three times a week Zoom calls. If you are a child care provider or advocate who would like to join these meetings, you can register here -https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__Uk_DISdTR2g09Fy3TJ9UA. This is the link for the Monday calls. Often, there are different links for the Wednesday calls if an attendee chooses one of four rooms to be placed in for discussion. Please watch the ECE Listserv for additional information. These calls are every Monday and Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. The family child care calls will return to Saturdays, as that day worked best for family child care providers. The next FCC call will be Saturday, July 25, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. The call-in number will be available as the date approaches. 

If you'd like to check out some of the previous meetings and webinars, which were recorded, visit Middlesex Coalition for Children's page HERE.  

Health Equity Solutions: Help Dismantle Racism!

This message comes to you from Health Equity Solutions:

To achieve health equity in the United States, we must confront and dismantle racism. Institutional, interpersonal, and internal racism have no place in the world where we want to have healthy and thriving adults.

The senseless loss of life and threats to people of color, whether by COVID-19, at the hands of those who are supposed to protect and serve, or by individuals weaponizing their privilege to harm others, have demonstrated our need for bold, sweeping action.

At HES, we recognize the key to fulfilling our mission is to promote an intentional anti-racism agenda. What does that mean? We need policy solutions that are aimed specifically and intentionally at dismantling the destructive force of racism in our course to health equity.

Please sign this petition to show your support and to demand intentional racial equity in our laws, policies, and ways of being in Connecticut. 

Here is the direct link to the petition: https://hesct.salsalabs.org/calltoactiondismantleracisminct/index.html

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out!

Health Equity Solutions Team

Samantha Lew, MSW

Office: 860.937.6432

Cell: 203.470.3154

Email: [email protected]

Nine Connecticut towns have passed resolutions declaring racism a public health crisis! Windsor, Hartford, Bloomfield, West Hartford, New Britain, Middletown, New Haven, Windham, and Manchester have passed the resolution. It’s time we recognize racism as the public health crisis it is and take concrete steps towards equity.

Ways YOU can take action TODAY!

• HES is 85% of the way to a goal of 1k signatures! Can you help? Sign the petition to demand action and share the call to action with 5 friends and family members!
• Email your Town/City Council and Mayor or First Selectman in favor of declaring racism a public health crisis! Click here for an email template. Please cc Samantha Lew, at [email protected] so Hes can track where action is taking place. You can also email Samantha for details or to learn more about action already taken in your town.

These resolutions are important first steps. HES looks forward to working with you to move Connecticut closer to health equity in the days and years ahead. If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out.