Weekly News - October 2, 2017
No Budget Before October 1...Now What?
As promised, Governor Malloy vetoed the GOP budget proposal approved by the House and Senate. We've reached October 1 and there is still no budget. This is when the ECS funds are cut to 85 towns and reduced for 54 others via the governor's revised executive order. To read more about the executive order, click HERE. The House has been summoned to a veto override session on Tuesday afternoon. For more about the veto override session, click HERE.
We know this can become tiresome, but this is the time we need your advocacy the most.
The budget the governor vetoed would eliminate the Office of Early Childhood (OEC) and move the functions (including licensing, Birth-to-Three, Care4Kids, home visiting, and others) to the State Department of Education. The Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance strongly opposes this measure. A state agency focused on all the needs of our youngest children must be maintained.
1) Call your state Senator and State Representative and say “I am calling about the Office of Early Childhood. Please make sure it stays as its own agency so that early childhood gets the focus it deserves.” You can look up your legislator and their phone number HERE. Phone numbers for each of the Legislative caucuses are as follows:
House Democrats: (860) 240-8500 or toll-free (800) 842-1902
House Republicans: (860) 240-8700 or toll-free (800) 842-1423
Senate Democrats: (860) 240-8600 or toll-free (800)842-1420
Senate Republicans: (860) 240-8800 or toll-free (800) 842-1421
Weekly News - September 25, 2017
Call Your Legislators!
The GOP budget proposal approved by the House and Senate has not yet been sent to the Governor's desk, but Governor Malloy has indicated when it does get transmitted, he will veto it. We know this can become tiresome, but this is the time we need your advocacy the most.
This budget eliminates the Office of Early Childhood (OEC) and moves the functions (including licensing, Birth-to-Three, Care4Kids, home visiting, and others) to the State Department of Education. The Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance strongly opposes this measure. A state agency focused on all the needs of our youngest children must be maintained.
1) The Governor has vowed to veto the budget, but it is still important to call his office at (860) 566-4840 or toll-free at(800) 406-1527 and say “I am calling to ask the Governor to veto the budget, and keep the Office of Early Childhood.”
2) Call your state Senator and State Representative and say “I am calling about the Office of Early Childhood. Please make sure it stays as its own agency so that early childhood gets the focus it deserves.” You can look up your legislator and their phone number HERE. Phone numbers for each of the Legislative caucuses are as follows:
House Democrats: (860) 240-8500 or toll-free (800) 842-1902
House Republicans: (860) 240-8700 or toll-free (800) 842-1423
Senate Democrats: (860) 240-8600 or toll-free (800)842-1420
Senate Republicans: (860) 240-8800 or toll-free (800) 842-1421
Weekly News - September 11, 2017
It's Time to Contact Your Legislators Again! Budget Vote on Thursday
This is hopefully the last time we ask you for your help! The state legislature is expected to vote on a budget on Thursday. It is up to us to make sure they go into that vote with early childhood on their minds. Here’s what we need you to do:
Call or text (if you know their cell phone) or Facebook your legislators with this message:
“When you vote on Thursday, please remember our youngest children. All of our early childhood programs and interventions are investments that help children and save money down the line. I especially ask that you support the Care4Kids program with the proposed $124 million in funding.”
If you know that your legislator has been supportive of early childhood, please add a thank you for all that they have done.
Not sure who your legislator is? Click HERE.
Weekly News - September 5, 2017
Budget Update
Care4Kids in the News
Following up on the Care4Kids info, the Alliance has created a chart to show the highs and lows in enrollment over the past few years. As you can see from the chart, June, July, and August are often the highest peaks for enrollment, which include summer camps. As you look at 2017, those highs are not there anymore. Weekly News - August 28, 2017
Budget Update
Last week, the House Democrats proposed yet another budget (it may actually be the 15th one this year). They saw the Governor’s Municipal and Educational Cost Sharing grant cuts, which were awful enough to start talking about revenue. Their proposal increases revenue by $2.1 over two years through a half percent increases in the sales tax and other fees.
With that additional revenue, the House Democrats propose to reduce the cuts to towns and schools from the Governor’s roughly $1 billion down to a much more bearable $122 million.
A Republican response is expected soon and it is still to be seen if we are any closer to a majority for any budget.
Here’s the Good News and Bad News for Early Childhood in the House Democrats 8/23/17 budget.
First the Good News:
- Does not move OEC to SDE
- Does not move Birth to Three to DSS
- Funds Care 4 Kids at $124,981,059 in FY 18.
- Funds Birth to Three at $24,686,804
- Funds Even Start at $350,000
- Funds 2-Gen at $250,000
- Maintains funding for School Readiness and State Funded Centers
Then the Bad News
- Care4kids is only funded at $109,530,084 (-$15.4 Million) in the second year of the biannual budget (FY19)
- Does not appear to provide the remaining funding for Birth to Three in the DSS budget
- Does not include the funding for Help Me Grow
- Does not restore funding for Community Plans
To recap, if passed, this budget would allow Care4Kids to enroll some people off of the waiting list. Multiple media outlets have reported a session the week of September 11 for a budget vote.
Weekly News - August 21, 2017
25% Fewer Children Receiving Care4Kids
Care4Kids was highlights in a recent article by Nate Lynch at the New London Day. His article featured interviews with child care providers in Southeastern CT, families that utilize Care4Kids, and our Executive Director, Merrill Gay. The article can be found HERE.
Don't forget - the Alliance is hosting a discussion on Care4Kids on the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving's Early Childhood Collaborative website. To find our discussion, click HERE. You will need a free account to comment.
Weekly News - August 14, 2017
Budget Update
Despite no budget, the state will continue to fund Smart Start classrooms, to the tune of $3.3 million, to fund 45 classrooms that enroll 665 children, mostly from low-income households. CT Mirror has MORE.
We need to continue to push for new revenue, because cuts alone would be devastating. If you haven't spoken to your legislators recently, do it now. Don't assume your neighbor is doing it - legislators need to hear from all of us. We know for a fact that they're hearing a lot from the "no new taxes" folks and not hearing nearly enough from us. Tell them you support increased revenue, whether it's the income tax, sugar tax, tolls, an increase to the cigarette tax. We CANNOT make cuts only. There has to be a balance and this budget has to be fair and moral.
Weekly News - July 31, 2017
Budget Update
Now, focus returns to the budget. We are more than a month into the fiscal year without a budget. We need to continue to push for new revenue, because cuts alone would be devastating. Sheldon Toubman, staff attorney for New Haven Legal Aid, sat down with the CT Mirror, to talk about the need to raise revenue, so as not to shred the safety net. House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz said last week, prior to the Senate vote on the SEBAC agreement, that if the Senate approved the concessions package, the budget shortfall would be in the $200-$400 million range. CT Newsjunkie has more.
If you haven't spoken to your legislators recently, do it now. Don't assume your neighbor is doing it - legislators need to hear from all of us. We know for a fact that they're hearing a lot from the "no new taxes" folks and not hearing nearly enough from us. Tell them you support increased revenue, whether it's the income tax, sugar tax, tolls, an increase to the cigarette tax. We CANNOT make cuts only. There has to be a balance and this budget has to be fair and moral.
CABHN (CT Alliance for Basic Human Needs) will host a "part two update" on the state budget, with CT Voices for Children's Ray Noonan presenting. The event takes place Friday, August 4, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at 21 Oak Street, Hartford (building that houses CEA, first floor). There is no RSVP necessary.
CT Voices for Children Issues New Report: Accessing Quality in CT's Early Childhood System
CT Voices for Children released a new report on July 24, entitled "Accessing Quality in CT's Early Childhood System," which compares NAEYC accredited programs to Perry Preschool, Abecedarian, and CARE. Among the top findings:
- The best models for early care and education show significant enduring benefits in children’s test scores, graduation rates, employment, earnings, and other areas.
- High-quality early care and education has two key components: responsive classroom experiences plus wrap-around supports to meet the needs of the whole child and the family.
- Although most ECE programs in Connecticut do not include rigorous wrap-around supports, our state’s early childhood system as a whole includes those supports.
- Connecticut’s NAEYC-accredited ECE programs are roughly comparable to the best available models and bring an estimated $2.3 billion in long-term returns to the state.
- Despite recent efforts to improve the quality of care, increasing access to care remains a significant challenge, especially for low-income families.
Recommendations to Improve Quality and Access
- Preserve funding for wrap-around service programs for early childhood.
- Continue current Office of Early Childhood quality improvement efforts, with greater involvement of parents and ECE providers.
- Prioritize access to care for low-income families.
A few weeks prior to this report's released, CT Voices also released The Economic Benefits of High-Quality Early Care, in which the organizations estimated the value of current high-quality programs, the value CT would gain from high-quality care for all children who need it, and the value lost through keeping Care 4 Kids closed. The report was the topic (along with a teaser of the new report) on WICC 600 AM's "Coffee Break Chat." Click HERE to listen.
Read moreWeekly News - July 24, 2017
Budget Update
Legislators were summoned to Hartford on Monday for a veto override session, which is constitutionally-required. They voted to override one of the governor's vetoes, but they did not take on the budget. The House did vote to narrowly pass (78-72) the SEBAC agreement. It now goes to the Senate for its vote, expected July 31. CT Newsjunkie has more.
Many groups are keeping the pressure on and urging their legislators to increase revenue. During an event at the Capitol last Tuesday, five people, three in wheelchairs, were arrested and charged with trespassing for refusing to leave Governor Malloy's Office. They wanted to make it known that an austerity budget was not acceptable. They wanted revenue options seriously considered.
If you haven't spoken to your legislators, do it now. Don't assume your neighbor is doing it - legislators need to hear from all of us. We know for a fact that they're not hearing nearly enough from us. Tell them you support increased revenue, whether it's the income tax, sugar tax, tolls, an increase to the cigarette tax. We CANNOT make cuts only. There has to be a balance and this budget has to be fair and moral. Last Friday, Chuck Collins, an author, editor and child of the "one-percent," spoke on WNPR's "Where We Live," noting that those who can afford it, should pay their fair share in making the state a better place for everyone to live. To listen to the full interview, click HERE.
Also, if you've been more than a little confused with all the budget proposals out there, this helpful graph shows each of the proposals, including mini-budgets and caucus proposals, and plots out what each budget proposes in terms of the Office of Early Childhood, Birth-to-Three and Care4Kids.
Weekly News - July 3, 2017
Budget Update
CT Mirror and CT Newsjunkie have both reported on the close of the 2017 Fiscal Year and what's potentially ahead in the coming weeks and months in the state.
Richard Sussman, Director of Early Childhood Investments at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, penned an op-ed to the CT Mirror's CT Viewpoints, to urge the legislature to keep the Office of Early Childhood intact (the Democratic budget seeks to transfer the OEC to SDE).
And an op-ed in the New London Day urges lawmakers to avoid an austerity budget (a primarily cut-only and reducing taxes on wealthy Americans and corporations). Connecticut needs revenue as an option to balance the budget.
Time is running out to be heard. PLEASE contact your legislators!
CALL, EMAIL/FACEBOOK, WRITE, REPEAT
Messages below are suggestions – feel free to write your own!
1. Call your legislators (1 phone call each to your State Senator and State Representative)
Phone Message: My name is (your name). I am (director, teacher, parent) at (name of center) in (location). Please help to ensure Care4Kids is funded at $155 million in the budget. Care4Kids helps families afford child care. With the state facing a $5 billion deficit, you must raise revenue to make this happen. Please do that and fund Care4Kids.
Senate Democrats - 860-240-8600 or 800-842-1420
Senate Republicans - 860-240-8800 or 800-842-1421
House Democrats - 860-240-8585 or 800-842-8267
House Republicans - 860-240-8700 or 800-842-1423
2. Email your legislators. Thanks to the YMCA's for letting us use their easy tool. Fill out the form and an email will automatically be sent to your state legislators
3. Use Facebook's Town Hall app. Great how to use video Type this message (or write your own):
Please help to ensure that Care4Kids, the state’s child care subsidy, is funded. $155 million is needed to serve the same number of children as the program served in August of last year. Care4Kids helps children get early education and parents to work. With the state facing a $5 billion deficit, you must raise revenue to make this happen. Please do that and fund Care4Kids.
4. Twitter. Many legislators use twitter. Send them a tweet.
@insert your legislator Over 6,000 have already lost Care4Kids. More revenue needed to support Care4Kids in the budget. #fairbudget
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