$210M In Federal Funding Aimed At Early Childhood Programs In CT

CONNECTICUT — Gov. Ned Lamont announced Friday that the state will direct $210 million of the federal funding it has received for pandemic recovery efforts for use by early childhood programs.

Lamont announced the plan during a visit Friday from Vice President Kamala Harris at the Boys and Girls Club of New Haven. The funding made its way to Connecticut as part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act that was adopted in late 2020, and through the American Rescue Plan that was approved several weeks ago.

The Lamont administration will work with the Connecticut General Assembly to finalize the plan, according to a news release from the Office of the Governor.

A central piece of the plan includes a two-year, $50 million investment to pay for child care through Connecticut’s Care 4 Kids program for parents enrolled in higher education and approved workforce training programs. This will support parents who have been displaced from their jobs during the pandemic and are in need of child care while they receive workforce training and education to re-tool for new job opportunities.

A total of $120 million will be used for operational stabilization grants for struggling child care businesses hurt financially by the pandemic. Grants are open to all licensed child care centers, group child care homes, family child care homes, and license-exempt programs that accept Care 4 Kids child care subsidies. Grants have an equity focus, with total funding weighted to support programs in underserved communities hardest hit by COVID-19.

The plan also invests $26 million over two years in child care programs that will pay substantially higher market rates to programs that are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the National Association for Family Child Care. An additional $6 million will provide support and coaching to child care programs working to secure accreditation and related fees.

Connecticut Early Childhood Commissioner Beth Bye said: "Advocates and families have been asking for more accessible child care for decades. Grants will preserve child care infrastructure, child care subsidies will help parents enrolled in workforce training and education, and Connecticut’s child care subsidy program will make significant investments in high-quality child care programs."

The governor said that the plans announced Friday are the first phase of child care support using the federal relief funds, with the remainder to be announced and released in a planned roll-out. Connecticut received $70 million in CRRSAA funding and is anticipating $276 million more in ARP funds. The CRRSAA funds may be used to provide direct child care services; resources, supplies and/or technical assistance; and stabilization grants to support increased operating expenses. The ARP funds provide $170 million to stabilize the child care industry and $106 million to expand child care assistance.