Weekly News - May 1, 2017
Happy Retirement, Juleen!
Juleen Flanigan, retired from EdAdvance last week (formerly Education Connection, a RESC in western CT). She served as the director of early childhood services, where she managed the development and operations of direct service programs, such as Birth to Three and Family Resource Centers. Prior to taking this position in 1996, Flanigan served as the director of the Northwest Regional Family Services Coordination Center for Education Connection, as a program evaluator for the CT Department of Children and Families, director of the Parent Aide Program for the Danbury Regional Commission on Child Care, Rights, and Abuse; a consultant and evaluator for the Behavioral and Organizational Consultants Associates in New York; and a regional liaison for the Birth to Three Interagency Council in Hartford. She received her Master's Degree in Social Work from Fordham University, her Bachelor's Degree from Molloy College and her 150 post-graduate certificate in Chemical Dependency from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency. Last week, colleagues and friends gathered in Danbury and Litchfield at EdAdvance to send Juleen off. Juleen has been an active member of the CT Early Childhood Alliance since 2002, spending a number of years as a co-chair. Juleen will remain with EdAdvance part-time for the next six months to help with the transition. We wish you nothing but the best as you start this next chapter of your life, Juleen!
Read moreWeekly News - April 24, 2017
Appropriations Committee Doesn't Vote on Budget Plan
Here's how things are shaking out at this moment: The good news - the budget the Appropriations Committee planned to vote on on Tuesday put additional money into Care4Kids ($10 million over the Governor's proposal and approximately $3 million above the current appropriation) and partially restored funding for Family Resource Centers. The bad news - Even Start, Help Me Grow and Community Plans were all zeroed out of the budget. The REALLY bad news - what was presented Tuesday was probably the high water mark for spending - it won't get any better. And the committee couldn't get the votes to pass that budget. The Republicans noted they will release their own budget plan by the end of the week and it's unclear if the Appropriations Committee will be voting on a budget by their deadline. It's also unclear if the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee will have a revenue package ready by its committee deadline on Friday. Everyone needs to be contacting their legislators. If you would like to take a look at what was presented by the Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, click HERE. Remember, this budget plan did not get a vote. This article and this article on CT Mirror explains what happened on Tuesday. This article on CT Newsjunkie from April 20 explains where the Finance Committee might go with revenue. This CT Newsjunkie article also explains what went on Tuesday with the Appropriations Committee. Governor Malloy issued a statement following the collapse of the Appropriations vote on Tuesday.
Weekly News - April 17, 2017
Advocacy Day is Thursday, April 20!
In an extremely difficult budget season, it's more important than ever to get your voice heard! This Thursday, advocates will gather at the State Capitol in Hartford for the CT Early Childhood Alliance's annual Advocacy Day. Arrival time is 9:30 a.m., and the program will run from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Please RSVP if you haven't already. If you're planning to attend and haven't set up your meeting with your legislators, please do so as soon as possible. We ask that you wear RED in solidarity. See you Thursday!
Care4Kids Waiting List
There are now 3,000 families on the Care4Kids waiting list. Are you one of them? Or do you know someone who is? We're collecting stories. Please contact Jessica Ciparelli at the CT Early Childhood Alliance and share some background detail - how long have you been on the list and what impact has the closure had on your life. We would like to compile a list of individuals who would be willing to speak to reporters or to otherwise get the word out on how this closure impacts your life and that of your family's life. Jessica can be reached by email at [email protected]