Investing in Early Childhood Education & Childcare

July 19, 2024

My colleagues and I are dedicated to funding early childhood education and making childcare more affordable. Please read below to learn what we accomplished this year to support those priorities.

Two locally owned bridges in major need of repairs are getting a facelift. Keep scrolling to see what they look like and why they need work.

Crews will close lanes and shut down an exit on I-95 for some important road work. I'll let you know when and where to expect delays and how to get around it.

Here are the sections of today's email:

  • Early Childhood Education & Childcare Investments
  • $1.5 Million in Bridge Replacement Funding
  • Expect Delays & Detour on I-95 
  • Grants Available to Improve Stamford
 
Early Childhood Education & Childcare Investments
A constituent recently reached out asking my colleagues and I to continue prioritizing early childhood education and childcare. As a former elementary school teacher, I understand early childhood is a critical period for brain development and lays the foundation for future learning, behavior, and health. High-quality early education programs provide nurturing environments where children can develop cognitive, social, emotional, and language skills essential for their future success in school and beyond.
Additionally, investing in childcare yields significant economic returns. More affordable access to childcare leads to working parents keeping their jobs, new moms entering the workforce, and the state’s economy continuing to grow. It also levels the playing field by providing all children, regardless of their socio-economic background, with access to early education opportunities. This can reduce achievement gaps and promote social mobility.

We made several pivotal investments in early childhood education and childcare in 2024. We allocated $18.8 million in unspent American Rescue Plan Act funds to Care4Kids. The program is a partnership between the state, the families in the program, and the providers who take of the children with a goal of making childcare affordable for low to moderate income families in Connecticut.

The General Assembly also passed a House Democrats priority bill, which I co-sponsored, into law under Public Act 24-91. Below you will find some of the highlights:

  • Renames the "Early Childhood Education Fund" to "Early Childhood Care and Education Fund" which establishes a framework for the fund’s deposits and investments and the state treasurer’s authority and powers on behalf of the fund. The fund allows for private donations.
  • Sets up and administers a wage supplement payment program that provides one-time payments of at least $1,800 to eligible early childhood education teachers and assistants (about 4,200 childcare providers and early childhood teachers).
  • Establishes an Advisory Commission to oversee the fund and create a 10-year plan (annually updated). The Commission should take into consideration the existing work that's been done to address the childcare crisis in the state.
  • Ensures the 10-year plan includes contributions from parents and childcare providers, membership of the commission includes parents, childcare professionals, as well as business and philanthropic professionals, legislators, and agency heads.
  • Bonds $50M for OEC to implement early childhood education and childcare programs and needs.
  • Transfers $50M at the end of next fiscal year to the Early Childhood Care and Education Fund.

These are sound investments in our state’s future and will go a long way toward helping parents earn a living and providing for their children’s care and education.
 
$1.5 Million in Bridge Replacement Funding

Stamford will receive nearly $1.5 million in state grants to rebuild a couple of locally owned bridges. The funds come from the State Local Bridge Program, which is a cost-matching grant program that provides half of the funds for the repairs.

$978,750 will go toward replacing a bridge on Mill Road, seen below, which is over an unnamed brook.
Another $507,500 will help replace a bridge on Old Long Ridge Road. This bridge was built in 1917, and experts say it’s in poor condition and in dire need of repair.
I would like to thank the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) for selecting these two worthy projects. In total, CTDOT awarded nearly $16 million to18 projects statewide.
Click here to learn about the State Local Bridge Program
 
Expect Delays & Detour on I-95

You can expect slowdowns at night for a conduit installation project on I-95 in Stamford. According to the CTDOT, there will be right lane closures on both sides of the highway and the exit 9 northbound on-ramp will be closed. The work begins the night of Monday, July 29 and runs through the morning of Wednesday, July 31.

CLICK HERE if you would like to know more about the lane closures and detour.
 
Grants Available to Improve Stamford
You're invited to nominate a nonprofit or municipality to apply for the 2024 AARP Livable Communities Grant Program. It is dedicated to funding “quick-action” projects to improve our neighborhoods for people of all ages. The application deadline is Friday, August 16, at 5 P.M.
Click here to apply!

The AARP Connecticut Livable Communities Grant Program is open to incorporated organizations that are 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) nonprofits and Connecticut municipalities.

The maximum amount of any single grant will be $5,000. All applications should be for a project of $5,000 or less. AARP Connecticut has funded 38 projects since the inception of the Livable Communities Grant Program in 2018. 

Grant applications should be for projects in Connecticut that are focused on improving the lives of those 50+ and make a positive impact on:

  • Outdoor spaces and buildings
  • Transportation
  • Housing
  • Social Participation
  • Respect and Social Inclusion
  • Work and Civic Engagement
  • Communication and Information
  • Community and Health Services

Please email questions to CTLivable@aarp.org.