Child Care for CT Response to Governor Lamont's Budget

Governor Lamont Highlighting his plans for Early Care and Education

Governor Lamont’s budget proposal takes a welcome step in the right direction by focusing on universal preschool and recognizing that child care affordability is critical to Connecticut’s families. The plan’s investment in a Universal Preschool Endowment signals a commitment to relieving the burden of early education costs and aims to give parents the freedom to return to work. We appreciate the Governor’s acknowledgement that not only do we need more spending in early childhood, but also smarter spending to ensure that every dollar truly supports children, families, and providers across our state.

However, as Child Care for CT has highlighted, the need for accessible, affordable child care begins far earlier than the preschool years. Families with infants and toddlers continue to face considerable challenges finding high-quality, reasonably priced care. These early years are not only fundamental to a child’s development, but they are also a critical period when parents often decide whether they can afford to stay in the workforce or must make the difficult choice to leave. To strengthen our state’s economy and support all working families, we need a comprehensive approach that addresses these birth-to-three needs, ensures equitable wages for providers, and eliminates the child care deserts that persist throughout Connecticut.

We look forward to working with Governor Lamont as we frame our policy proposal with key legislators, Speaker Ritter, and committee chairs to craft transformative child care legislation that encompasses the full spectrum of early childhood needs. By building on the Governor’s plan for universal preschool and expanding the vision to include infant care, toddler care, and sustainable support for child care workers, Connecticut can deliver a bold solution that helps families thrive, revitalizes our workforce, and cements our state as a leader in early childhood investment. Our children, families, and businesses are counting on us to get this right.