Infant/Toddler Data Available for Two New Regions
Not only does the CT Early Childhood Alliance have data available on Hartford and New Haven regions, but we've now added data for New Britain and Waterbury regions. If you have a meeting you would like the data presented at, please contact Samantha Dynowski to set it up. Click on our graphic to bring you to the data page:
HUSKY B Reprieve...For Now
The CT Department of Social Services announced last Friday that a small amount of money from the federal government, which came when Congress extended the Children Health Insurance Program (CHIP) appropriations before leaving on winter break, will extend the HUSKY B program to February 28, 2018. State officials originally believed they would run out of money to run the program by the end of January. It is unclear when or if Congress will re-authorize CHIP, so parents are being encouraged to get in their preventative appointments and re-fill prescriptions for chronic conditions. CT NewsJunkie has MORE. But in an NPR news report on January 5, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says some states will likely begin running out of money as of January 19. They did not identify the states directly.
Cubbage: Use Tax Savings for Child Care
Alliance Steering Committee member Amy Cubbage recently penned a Letter to the Editor to the Hartford Courant. In the letter, she suggests ideas for long-and short-term investments by businesses who will benefit from the recently passed tax plan: invest in child care for their current employees and future workforce. To read the letter, click HERE.
Equity Starts Early: Addressing Racial Inequities in Child Care and Early Ed Policy
CLASP has issued a new report that explores critical racial equity issues in major early childhood programs, policies and systems. It also offers state and federal policy strategies that can begin to address inequities. To read the full report, click HERE.Water First For Your Thirst Toolkits Available
The CT Department of Public Health has released two new toolkits for center-based and home-based child care when it comes to drinking water. Along with a number of co-collaborators (including All Our Kin, CHDI, and the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, University of Connecticut), and funded by the Centers for Disease Control, DPH has released the toolkits that offers oral health and obesity prevention standards, wellness policies in child care and implementation ideas and resources available. The toolkits are available in English and will also be rolled out in Spanish. We will share the Spanish versions once they are released. The toolkits can be found here - Center-Basedand Family Child Care.
"Zero Weeks" Screenings Planned for West Haven, Waterbury, Norwalk
Mark your calendars if you're in the West Haven, Waterbury or Norwalk regions - the "Zero Weeks" documentary on paid family leave is heading to a library or foundation near you.
- Thursday, January 18, 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Ora Mason Library, 260 Benham Hill Road, West Haven.
- Tuesday, January 23, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Silas Bronson Library, 267 Grand Street, Waterbury
- Thursday, January 25, 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Fairfield County Community Foundation, 40 Richards Avenue, Norwalk (film begins at 6 p.m., pizza available at 5:30 p.m.) CHILD CARE PROVIDED - click HERE to RSVP and reserve child care.
To register for any of the upcoming "Popcorn & Paid Leave" events (and pizza for the Norwalk event), click HERE.
Support for the Alliance comes from of our members and our funders: The William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, Connecticut Health Foundation, Connecticut Community Foundation, Children's Fund of Connecticut, CT Early Childhood Funder Collaborative, a project of CT Council of Philanthropy; The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut; Community Foundation of Greater New Britain; Community Foundation of Greater New Haven; and The Fund for Greater Hartford.