Child Care Call-In Day
This Thursday, call your member of Congress at:
- Larson 860-278-8888
- Courtney 860-886-0139
- DeLauro 203-562-3718
- Himes 866-453-0028
- Esty 860-223-8412
Tell them to urge the Appropriations Chairman to increase funding for the Childcare & Development Block Grant (CCDBG) by $1.4 billion so that states can implement the improvements required by the reauthorization without cutting children off the childcare subsidy. After you've done that, contact them through Facebook using the new Town Hall feature (this can be found under the "Explore" heading on a desktop or mobile app version of Facebook).
Without this additional $1.4 billion, states will not be able to implement the important reforms contained in the CCDBG Act of 2014 while maintaining the current number of children served. There has already been a significant decline in the number of children served, with 373,000 fewer children receiving child care assistance in 2015 than in 2006. As of February 2016, only one state was paying providers at the federally recommended rate. Given the pressing need for greater child care investments, and the growing attention on child care as an issue, now is the time to make a special effort around child care funding. A call-in script is available HERE.
Legislators Work to Craft "Alternative" Budget Proposal
The Governor's proposed budget left many people wondering - early childhood advocates and many others - how programs and services will be able to survive, should deep cuts happen. Top legislators at the Capitol have begun crafting their own alternative state budget to present, in the hopes of coming to a compromise plan. The Hartford Courant takes a closer look at legislator's concerns with Governor Malloy's proposed budget and what they may want to change in an alternative budget proposal. Georgia Goldburn of HOPE for New Haven (Care4Kids) and All Our Kin (prioritizing funding for child care) both had Op-Eds run in the CT Mirror CT; NewsJunkie ran a Op-Ed on protecting the HUSKY program
Advocacy Day 2017 is Fast Approaching!
In a tough budget year and fast-changing policy climate, your attendance at the 2017 Early Childhood Advocacy Day is important! Mark your calendars for Thursday, April 20. Arrival time is 9:30 a.m., with the program running from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., in the Capitol's Old Judiciary Room, followed by legislator meetings. Please contact your legislators to set up meetings with them. If you need assistance, please contact Samantha Dynowski at [email protected]
All Our Kin to Host Benefit Event
Join the Connecticut-based nonprofit organization All Our Kin on Wednesday, April 5 to celebrate the critically important work family child care providers do for children and families at their annual Fairfield County benefit. C. Nicole Mason, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Policy in the Public Interest (CR2PI) at the New York Women’s Foundation and author of Born Bright: A Young Girl’s Journey from Nothing to Something in America, will give a special presentation.
The event will be held at the Bijou Theatre in Bridgeport from 5:30 – 8 pm. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit http://aokbridgeport2017.brownpapertickets.com/ or contact Nicole Allman at [email protected] or 203-772-2294.
President Trump Presents a "Skinny" Budget
President Trump has released an outline of his 2018 budget proposal, which proposes billions of dollars in spending cuts, including eliminating the 21st Century Community Learning Center program ($1.2 billion) which supports before-and after-school programs and summer programs. New America Foundation takes a closer look at what is included - and not included - in the President's budget blueprint. Noticeably absent is early childhood education.
CT-AIMH Spring Meeting and Seminar Scheduled for April 13
Registration is open for the CT Association for Infant Mental Health (CT-AIMH) Spring Meeting and Seminar, which takes place Thursday, April 13, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.at Woodwinds in Branford. Registration fee - $50 for CT-AIMH members, $80 if you pay for your CT-AIMH membership with your registration, and $90 if you are not a member. *There are discounts for parents of children 0-3 and discounts for students. Register HERE.
Support for the Alliance comes from of our members and our funders: The William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, Connecticut Health Foundation, Children's Fund of Connecticut, Connecticut Community Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater New Britain, Community Foundation of Greater New Haven, The Fund for Greater Hartford, and The Eder Family Foundation