Connecticut’s Early Childhood Education Endowment

You may have seen news about Connecticut’s Early Childhood Education Endowment. It’s purpose is make it to easier for families to find child care that meets their needs, is affordable, and supports their child’s early learning and development. Elena Trueworthy, Commissioner of the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, recently released this family letter with more information about how the Endowment will be used this fiscal year. It also clarifies that the announcements about “free child care” only apply to children enrolled in Early Start CT spaces.

Southington currently has 45 of these State-funded spaces, compared to about 2,000 children age 5 and under. As the Local Governance Partner (LGP) in this community, the Early Childhood Collaborative of Southington recognizes there are not enough subsidized spots to meet the needs of families. We are advocating to increase the number of Early Start CT spots in town and encouraging the childcare providers to apply for them. Learn more about our work as an LGP and our recent Local Needs Assessment.