CT Early Childhood Alliance

2025 Policy Agenda

Care 4 Kids Reform

  • Expedient compliance with the following federal mandates from the CCDF Final Rule:

    • Pay providers in advance

    • Pay providers based on enrollment, not attendance

    • Use contracts as well as vouchers

  • Adoption of Presumptive Eligibility in Connecticut, which would allow families to start child care while their Care4Kids paperwork is being finalized

  • Provider payment based on the cost of quality, using the P-5 Cost Model

  • Contracting subsidy spaces to promote new programs in childcare deserts

  • Implementation of Blue Ribbon Panel recommendation of increasing Care4Kids eligibility to 85% SMI.

  • Child Care for Early Educators make early educators eligible for child care through Care4Kids automatically and with no fee (as with children experiencing homelessness).

Stabilize the Child Care Sector

  • Support dedicated funding for the Early Care and Education Fund for the purposes of increasing compensation for early educators, expanding the supply of care, improving facilities and making care affordable for families.

  • Change in the law to allow “Large family child care homes” allowing family child care providers to serve up to 12 children with an assistant under the Family Child Care license.

  • Funding for Early Start, specifically funding the Local Governance Partners and additional early care & education slots

  • Support funding for child care incubators and bonding for facilities

Federal Tax Reform

  • Increase the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit to reflect higher child care costs

  • Increase the Child Tax Credit and make it fully refundable

State Tax Reform

  • Support $600 refundable CT Child Tax Credit

  • Modify the state’s fiscal constraints to allow for additional support for early care/nonprofit providers

Medicaid (Husky) Reform

  • Implement continuous eligibility for children under 6

  • Support CT Diaper Bank’s efforts to provide Medicaid coverage for medically necessary diapers for children under age 3

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