State Budget Update
The House and Senate will be going into session on Tuesday to pass a deficit mitigation bill for the 2016 budget and extend deadlines for the Finance and Appropriations committees to finish revising the 2017 budget, which currently has the deficit of $900 million. This will give the committees an additional week to figure out how to fill the hole in the 2017 budget. The increasing fear is the real number will go over $1 billion as the first quarter revenue numbers come in at the end of this month.
The Democratic leadership's 2016 budget cuts $192M and gives the governor additional rescission authority (this proposal overrides the governor's previous recissions, but he could propose the same cuts to close the remainder of the deficit). There is currently $200,000 cut from Care4Kids and $1.5 million to state-funded centers (money from unfilled slots, but that funding has already been shifted to Birth to Three to cover the shortfall there).
Here's what you can do as concerned citizens - it's important to speak up for your programs and for programs that touch the lives of children and families in your communities. Contact your legislators and urge them to protect the state's most vulnerable and those who rely on us to be their voices.
What's Happening at the Capitol
With a little more than a month to go in the 2016 session, legislation continues to move through the process. To keep up-to-date, visit our Bills page for the latest information.
Mark Your Calendars for Advocacy Days
Two important dates are coming up in April and both could prove to be important as details of the 2016 budget deficit and 2017 budget emerge.
Local Early Childhood Council Day is on Wednesday, April 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Room 2D of the Legislative Office Building. This advocacy day will focus solely on issues affecting local councils. Local early childhood councils (LECCs) in over 80 communities across Connecticut are the source in their cities and towns for early childhood coordination, outreach, programs and services for children and families. The program, which includes a panel discussion, will run from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. From 12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m., this is the time to speak with your legislators. Please call prior to the event to set up a meeting with your legislators or their legislative aides. You can RSVP for the event HERE.
Invest in US Webinar
Does your work focus early childhood inequality? An upcoming webinar might be a good option for you.
Last month, the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers released its 70th annual Economic Report of the President, shedding light on the state of today’s economy. While the economy shows modest, steady growth, the report found that widening inequality still remains. This year, the report features a chapter on the inequalities in early childhood education and the public policy interventions. Together with White House officials First Five Years Fund will be hosting a webinar on April 7, 2015 at 1 p.m. to highlight the report and showcase the importance of business leaders and public-private partners to early childhood investments. To register for the webinar, click HERE.
Early Childhood in the News
Congratulations to the West Haven Child Development Center, Inc., which was recently recognized as a "Promising Practice in Medical Home Implementation," by the American Academy of Pediatrics. West Haven Child Development Center, Inc. is believed to be the first program in CT to receive this designation. To see the distinction on the AAP website, click HERE.
If you missed the March 10 CLASP webinar on Disparate Access - Head Start and CCDBG Data by Race and Ethnicity, it is now available as a recording of the video presentation and the PowerPoint slides. It's available HERE.
A new study out of John Hopkins University, in collaboration with Baltimore Education Research Consortium, provides evidence of the high cost of entering kindergarten without important social-emotional skills, such as following directions, managing emotions, and getting along with others they share their space with. To read more about it, click HERE.
End Hunger CT!
End Hunger CT! is seeking college students to serve as summer Youth Ambassadors! Through the support of Sodexo Foundation, Share Our Strength has created a program to involve youth in college in the fight against childhood hunger. In collaboration with End Hunger CT!, two Youth Ambassadors will be placed in Hartford, CT. For more information, including job description and qualifications, click HERE. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 8.
Governor's Town Hall Forums Resume
Governor Dannel P. Malloy and Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman announced that they will hold a town hall forum in Enfield on the evening of Wednesday, March 30, 2016, to discuss his budget principles, his proposals for adapting state government to a changing economy, and other issues concerning the future of the state.
The forum will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. in the gymnasium of Asnuntuck Community College (170 Elm Street, Enfield). Residents who would like an opportunity to ask the governor a question should arrive about 30 minutes prior to the start of the event to submit their name on a sign-up sheet. The forum is open to the public.