Early Childhood Education

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Recent Posts

Looking for child care? Here’s our database of quality benchmarks

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Child care inspection reports in Connecticut are public documents, but there’s no useful way to search for them online. So we built one. Although the state does license programs to ensure the facilities and homes are safe for children and staff are equipped to handle emergencies, the state’s online database only provides the date that an inspection took place, not any violations found or abuse allegations substantiated. It also does not say which facilities have received NAEYC accreditation. In an effort to give parents a window into the safety and quality of their day care, the CT Mirror compiled a database of safety violations and resolutions, and inspection history. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Data, Early Childhood Education, Schools/Child Welfare

Still no state child care rating system, parents left guessing

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When Rhonda Strycharz first opened a day care 18 years ago in her New Hartford home, only a few states had a rating system to help parents choose a child care provider. Connecticut was not among them. By last year, 41 states had a county or state-wide Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) for parents to use to research safety and educational quality of day cares. Connecticut still does not – despite more than a decade of attempts by state leaders. “How can Connecticut be this far behind?” Continue Reading →

Filed under: Early Childhood Education, Schools/Child Welfare

Wealthier students benefit from art, music over summer while poor kids miss out

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More affluent kids are about twice as likely to visit a museum, art gallery, or historical site or see a play or concert over the summer, as compared with their peers from low-income families. That’s according to a new analysis released this month by the federal government, illustrating disparities in out-of-school experiences, which may be exacerbated by rising income inequality. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Budget/Economy, Early Childhood Education, K-12, Schools/Child Welfare

Parties sharply divided over higher ed, labor costs, transportation

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Democrats and Republicans offered sharply contrasting spending plans for the next fiscal year. While they shared some common ground involving municipal aid and health care for the elderly and disabled, major disagreements involving labor costs, higher education and revenue stand in the way of another bipartisan budget agreement. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Budget/Economy, Early Childhood Education, Health Care, Higher Education, K-12, Labor, Politics, Schools/Child Welfare

Competing CT budget plans rely on April tax bonanza

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Democratic and Republican legislators offered competing visions for the next state budget Friday, but both effectively dipped into this spring’s unexpectedly high income-tax revenues to salvage key programs for towns and social services, drawing a sharp rebuke from Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Budget/Economy, Early Childhood Education, Economic Development, Health Care, Higher Education, K-12, Labor, Politics

House sends veto-proof, bipartisan budget to Malloy

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With the final flourish of a veto-proof margin, the House of Representatives voted Thursday to give final legislative passage to an overdue, bipartisan budget crafted without the direct involvement of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Budget/Economy, Early Childhood Education, Energy, Environment, Health Care, Higher Education, K-12, Politics

After 117-day marathon, Senate passes bipartisan budget

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The Senate took a major step early Thursday toward ending Connecticut’s nearly 17-week budget impasse, overwhelmingly adopting a $41.3 billion, two-year plan that closes huge deficits without raising income or sales tax rates, imposes modest cuts on local aid, and provides emergency assistance to keep Hartford out of bankruptcy. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Budget/Economy, Early Childhood Education, Health Care, Higher Education, K-12, Labor, Politics, Schools/Child Welfare

Last night, the budget politics — today, the details

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Legislators arrived at the State Capitol on Friday with the opportunity for the first time to see the details of a $41.4 billion, two-year budget proposal that the administration of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Democratic legislative leaders hoped would end Connecticut’s summer-long budget impasse. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Budget/Economy, Early Childhood Education, Economic Development, Health Care, Higher Education, K-12, Labor, Politics

State to continue funding pre-K expansion despite lack of budget

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With no state budget in place for the current fiscal year – and the school year quickly approaching – uncertainty had surrounded whether the state would provide the money it promised district leaders when they expanded or opened new preschool classrooms over the last two school years. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Budget/Economy, Early Childhood Education, Schools/Child Welfare, pre-K, Smart Start

House panel cuts education budget, but not nearly as much as Trump

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WASHINGTON — House appropriators rejected many of President Donald Trump’s proposed cuts to education, but trimmed some programs and eliminated others – including one that provides the state and local school districts with $25 million in teacher training grants each year. House appropriators also failed to adjust this year’s Pell grant awards for inflation, a move state officials say will cost Connecticut students $6 million in college financial aid next year. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Budget/Economy, Early Childhood Education, Higher Education, K-12, Politics, Schools/Child Welfare, Washington, 21st Century Community Learning programs