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Governor Lamont Announces Changes to Connecticut's Early Child Care and Education Programs That Will Enable More Children To Enroll and at Less Cost to Parents [[link removed]]

Posted on September 26, 2024

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that his administration is making several changes to Connecticut’s early child care and education programs that will result in more children being able to receive access to these programs, while also lowering the associated costs to their parents.

“Access to child care and early education programs is massively important to the success of our state, not only because these programs provide valuable tools for children that will lead them to success in the future, but also because being able to enroll your child in care right now means that parents themselves can have an opportunity to obtain employment and earn an income that supports their family,” Governor Lamont said. “Right now, Connecticut is expanding access to child care for high-need communities to levels we’ve never experienced and I am determined to continue this trend. I appreciate the Biden-Harris administration for working with our state to make expanding access to child care a priority.”

Effective January 1, 2025, family fees for Care 4 Kids – the state program that supports low to moderate-income families with some of the costs of paying for child care – will be capped at 7% of household income, which is down from the current rate of 10%. This means that the fees required to participate in Care 4 Kids will decrease for all participating families. On average, it is estimated that this change will save families about $200 per month.

Additionally, effective October 1, 2024, in an effort to reduce the benefit cliff that families enrolled in Care 4 Kids can face, families participating in this program will be able to remain enrolled until their household income reaches 85% of the state median income, which is an increase from the current limit of 65%. This means that if a parent receives a promotion or pay raise from their employer, it is more likely they can accept the pay increase and not worry that it will prevent their child from continuing to receive this care.

Both of these changes bring Connecticut in alignment with federal requirements and can be implemented using existing federal funds.

An additional 1,500 children will be enrolled in Care 4 Kids, bringing the total number of children served under this program from 21,500 to 23,000, using existing state and federal funding.

In addition to the Care 4 Kids changes, the state is adding 900 new state-funded early care and education spaces for young children through the School Readiness and Child Day Care program by maximizing existing state funds.

These programs are administered by the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood.

“Connecticut continues to look for ways to leverage state and federal resources to increase access to affordable child care for families,” Connecticut Early Childhood Commissioner Beth Bye said. “Today’s announcement is about adding capacity and affordability. It’s good for families, good for child care programs, and good for Connecticut’s economy.”

This added capacity brings the total number of children receiving municipal, state, and federally funded early childhood programs in Connecticut to 62,400, which is well ahead of the Connecticut Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Care’s goal of 60,000 children being funded in these programs by fiscal year 2026. With these new investments, 29% of children under 5 years of age will be enrolled in more affordable early childhood education programs in the current fiscal year.

“Child care is a necessity for Connecticut’s working families and the Biden-Harris administration commends the state for moving swiftly to implement a new federal rule to lower costs for families participating in the child care subsidy program,” Ruth Friedman, director of the Office of Child Care for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said.

“Few things are more frustrating for parents than trying to find affordable child care,” U.S. Senator Chris Murphy said. “These new changes are going to make a big difference for thousands of families by lowering costs and opening up more spots in child care and early education programs. It’s a big deal for those kids’ development, but it will also give the state’s economy a boost. I’ll keep fighting to increase the federal government’s investment in child care in Connecticut.”

“I am thrilled to see federal funding be used to take bold steps that will make more child care slots available in our state and lower costs by capping fees for low and middle-income families receiving assistance at 7% of their household income,” U.S. Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01) said. “Under Governor Lamont’s leadership, Connecticut is leading the nation to ensure working families can access the child care they need to make ends meet. I will continue to work with President Biden, Vice President Harris, and the entire Connecticut Congressional delegation to build on this progress in Washington so every family can afford high-quality child care.”

“Affordable child care is essential for families to thrive,” U.S. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) said. “And yet, they struggle with the high cost – making difficult decisions on their budget to ensure their children are cared for when they go to work. I am proud to have secured American Rescue Plan Act funding and Child Care and Development Fund dollars to help bring down the cost of childcare in Connecticut. Ensuring parents pay no more than seven percent of their income for childcare, will help families keep more of their hard-earned dollars.”

Governor Lamont made these announcements today during a news conference at the Enfield Child Development Center.

“We are very proud to serve families in our community who are working or attending training or college who are supported thorough the Care 4 Kids program,” Eileen Gardner, senior site manager for the Enfield Child Development Center, said. “These changes will help our families pay for child care and other critical household needs. We are also committed to partnering with the Office of Early Childhood to deliver state-funded high-quality early care and education services to our youngest children.”

“I began working at the Enfield Child Development Center two years ago as a teacher’s aide in the toddler program,” Ashley Plaza Torres said. “I have two children, 8 years old and 2 years old, and I am thankful to have the support of Care 4 Kids because it gives me the opportunity to work and afford child care for two children.”

These changes and their impacts on Connecticut’s workforce and its economy are projected to increase the state’s gross domestic product by $351 million and state revenue by $29.7 million. For every dollar invested in adding these child care slots, there is an expected one-year return of approximately $13.50 in total economic benefits. If it is assumed an additional slot enables on additional parent to join the workforce, even at minimum wage, this would add $33,000 in household earnings.

For information on Care 4 Kids, visit ctcare4kids.com [[link removed]].

Read on CT.gov [[link removed]]

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