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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6686
January Session, 2023
LCO No. 3398
Referred to Committee on EDUCATION
Introduced by:
(ED)
AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE OFFICE
OF EARLY CHILDHOOD.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 10-16p of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2023): 2
(a) As used in sections 10-16o to 10-16r, inclusive, 10-16u, 17b-749a 3
and 17b-749c: 4
(1) "School readiness program" means a nonsectarian program that 5
(A) meets the standards set by the Office of Early Childhood pursuant 6
to subsection (b) of this section and the requirements of section 10-16q, 7
and (B) provides a developmentally appropriate learning experience of 8
not less than four hundred fifty hours and one hundred eighty days for 9
eligible children, except as provided in subsection (d) of section 10-16q; 10
(2) "Eligible children" means children [three and] from birth to four 11
years of age, inclusive, and children five years of age who are not 12
eligible to enroll in school pursuant to section 10-15c, or who are eligible 13
to enroll in school and will attend a school readiness program pursuant 14 Raised Bill No. 6686
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to section 10-16t, as amended by this act; 15
(3) "Priority school" means a school in which forty per cent or more 16
of the lunches served are served to students who are eligible for free or 17
reduced price lunches pursuant to federal law and regulations, 18
excluding such a school located in a priority school district pursuant to 19
section 10-266p or in a former priority school district receiving a grant 20
pursuant to subsection (c) of this section and, on and after July 1, 2001, 21
excluding such a school in a transitional school district receiving a grant 22
pursuant to section 10-16u; 23
(4) "Severe need school" means a school in a priority school district 24
pursuant to section 10-266p or in a former priority school district in 25
which forty per cent or more of the lunches served are served to students 26
who are eligible for free or reduced price lunches; 27
(5) "Accredited" means accredited by the National Association for the 28
Education of Young Children, National Association for Family Child 29
Care, a Head Start on-site program review instrument or a successor 30
instrument pursuant to federal regulations, or otherwise meeting such 31
criteria as may be established by the commissioner, unless the context 32
otherwise requires; 33
(6) "Year-round" means forty-eight weeks per year, except as 34
provided in subsection (d) of section 10-16q; 35
(7) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Early Childhood; 36
(8) "Office" means the Office of Early Childhood; 37
(9) "Seeking accreditation" means a school readiness program seeking 38
accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young 39
Children, National Association for Family Child Care or a Head Start 40
on-site program review instrument or successor instrument pursuant to 41
federal regulations, or attempting to meet criteria as may be established 42
by the commissioner; [and] 43
(10) "Concentration in early childhood education" means a program 44 Raised Bill No. 6686
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of study in early childhood education, including, but not limited to, 45
early childhood education, child study, child development or human 46
growth and development; 47
(11) "Designated staff member" means a person assigned the primary 48
responsibility for a classroom of children; 49
(12) "State-funded child care program" means an early childhood 50
education program that accepts state funds from the office, whether 51
directly or through a subcontractor, for any combination of infant, 52
toddler and preschool spaces, but "state-funded child care program" 53
does not include the child care subsidy program established pursuant 54
to section 17b-749, as amended by this act; and 55
(13) "Minimum qualifications" means at least one of the following 56
qualifications: (A) A bachelor's degree or higher with a concentration in 57
early childhood education from a regionally accredited institution of 58
higher education, (B) a bachelor's degree or higher without a 59
concentration in early childhood education, but with not less than 60
twelve credits applicable to early childhood education from a regionally 61
accredited institution of higher education, (C) certification pursuant to 62
section 10-145b with an endorsement in early childhood education or 63
early childhood special education, or (D) being deemed qualified by the 64
office on the basis of having (i) verified employment in a state-funded 65
child care program, and (ii) obtained not less than twelve credits 66
applicable to early childhood education from a regionally accredited 67
institution of higher education. 68
(b) (1) The office shall be the lead agency for school readiness. For 69
purposes of this section and section 10-16u, school readiness program 70
providers eligible for funding from the office shall include local and 71
regional boards of education, regional educational service centers, 72
family resource centers and providers of child care centers, group child 73
care homes and family child care homes, as described in section 19a-77, 74
Head Start programs, preschool programs and other programs that 75
meet any standards established by the commissioner. The office shall 76 Raised Bill No. 6686
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establish standards for school readiness programs. The standards may 77
include, but need not be limited to, guidelines for staff-child 78
interactions, curriculum content, including preliteracy development, 79
lesson plans, parental involvement, staff qualifications, in accordance 80
with subdivision (2) of this this subsection, and training, transition to 81
school and administration. The office shall develop age-appropriate 82
developmental skills and goals for children attending such programs. 83
The commissioner, in consultation with the president of the Connecticut 84
State Colleges and Universities, the Commissioners of Education and 85
Social Services and other appropriate entities, shall develop a 86
professional development program for the staff of school readiness 87
programs. 88
[(2) For purposes of this section: 89
(A) Prior to July 1, 2022, "staff qualifications" means that for each 90
early childhood education program accepting state funds for infant, 91
toddler and preschool spaces associated with such program's child care 92
program or school readiness program, there is in each classroom an 93
individual who has at least the following: (i) A childhood development 94
associate credential or an equivalent credential issued by an 95
organization approved by the commissioner and twelve credits or more 96
in early childhood education or child development, as determined by 97
the commissioner or the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and 98
Universities, after consultation with the commissioner, from an 99
institution of higher education (I) accredited by the Board of Regents for 100
Higher Education or Office of Higher Education, and (II) regionally 101
accredited; (ii) an associate degree with twelve credits or more in early 102
childhood education or child development, as determined by the 103
commissioner or the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and 104
Universities, after consultation with the commissioner, from such an 105
institution; (iii) a four-year degree with twelve credits or more in early 106
childhood education or child development, as determined by the 107
commissioner or the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and 108
Universities, after consultation with the commissioner, from such an 109
institution; (iv) certification pursuant to section 10-145b with an 110 Raised Bill No. 6686
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endorsement in early childhood education or special education; (v) an 111
associate degree with a concentration in early childhood education from 112
an institution of higher education that is regionally accredited; or (vi) a 113
bachelor's degree with a concentration in early childhood education 114
from an institution of higher education that is regionally accredited; 115
(B) From July 1, 2022, until June 30, 2025, "staff qualifications" means 116
that for each early childhood education program accepting state funds 117
for infant, toddler and preschool spaces associated with such program's 118
child care program or school readiness program, (i) at least fifty per cent 119
of those individuals with the primary responsibility for a classroom of 120
children (I) hold certification pursuant to section 10-145b with an 121
endorsement in early childhood education or early childhood special 122
education, (II) have been issued an early childhood teacher credential, 123
pursuant to section 10-520b, (III) hold at least an associate degree with a 124
concentration in early childhood education from an institution of higher 125
education that is regionally accredited, or (IV) satisfy the requirements 126
of subdivision (3), (4) or (5) of this subsection, and (ii) such remaining 127
individuals with the primary responsibility for a classroom of children 128
hold a childhood development associate credential or an equivalent 129
credential issued by an organization approved by the commissioner and 130
twelve credits or more in early childhood education or child 131
development, as determined by the commissioner or the president of 132
the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, after consultation with 133
the commissioner, from an institution of higher education (I) accredited 134
by the Board of Regents for Higher Education or Office of Higher 135
Education, and (II) regionally accredited; 136
(C) From July 1, 2025, until June 30, 2029, "staff qualifications" means 137
that for each early childhood education program accepting state funds 138
for infant, toddler and preschool spaces associated with such program's 139
child care program or school readiness program, (i) at least fifty per cent 140
of those individuals with the primary responsibility for a classroom of 141
children (I) hold certification pursuant to section 10-145b with an 142
endorsement in early childhood education or early childhood special 143
education, (II) have been issued an early childhood teacher credential, 144 Raised Bill No. 6686
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pursuant to subdivision (2) of section 10-520b, (III) hold at least a 145
bachelor's degree with a concentration in early childhood education 146
from an institution of higher education that is regionally accredited, or 147
(IV) satisfy the requirements of subdivision (3), (4) or (5) of this 148
subsection, and (ii) such remaining individuals with the primary 149
responsibility for a classroom of children (I) hold an associate degree 150
with a concentration in early childhood education from an institution of 151
higher education that is regionally accredited, or (II) have been issued 152
an early childhood teacher credential, pursuant to subdivision (1) of 153
section 10-520b; and 154
(D) On and after July 1, 2029, "staff qualifications" means that for each 155
early childhood education program accepting state funds for infant, 156
toddler and preschool spaces associated with such program's child care 157
program or school readiness program, one hundred per cent of those 158
individuals with the primary responsibility for a classroom of children 159
(i) hold certification pursuant to section 10-145b with an endorsement in 160
early childhood education or early childhood special education, (ii) have 161
been issued an early childhood teacher credential, pursuant to 162
subdivision (2) of section 10-520b, (iii) hold at least a bachelor's degree 163
with a concentration in early childhood education from an institution of 164
higher education that is regionally accredited, or (iv) satisfy the 165
requirements of subdivision (3), (4) or (5) of this subsection. 166
(3) Any individual with a bachelor's degree in early childhood 167
education or child development or a bachelor's degree and twelve 168
credits or more in early childhood education or child development, 169
who, on or before June 30, 2015, is employed by an early childhood 170
education program that accepts state funds for infant, toddler and 171
preschool spaces associated with such program's child care program or 172
school readiness program shall be considered to meet the staff 173
qualifications required under subparagraphs (B) to (D), inclusive, of 174
subdivision (2) of this subsection. No such early childhood education 175
program shall terminate any such individual from employment for 176
purposes of meeting the staff qualification requirements set forth in 177
subparagraph (B), (C) or (D) of subdivision (2) of this subsection. 178 Raised Bill No. 6686
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(4) Any individual with an associate degree or a bachelor's degree in 179
early childhood education or child development or an associate degree 180
or a bachelor's degree and twelve credits or more in early childhood 181
education or child development from an institution of higher education 182
that is regionally accredited, other than an associate degree or a 183
bachelor's degree with a concentration in early childhood education, 184
may submit documentation concerning such degree for review and 185
assessment by the office as to whether such degree has a sufficient 186
concentration in early childhood education so as to satisfy the 187
requirements set forth in subparagraphs (B) to (D), inclusive, of 188
subdivision (2) of this subsection. 189
(5) Any individual with an associate degree with twelve credits or 190
more in early childhood education or child development, as determined 191
by the commissioner or the president of the Connecticut State Colleges 192
and Universities, after consultation with the commissioner, from an 193
institution of higher education (A) accredited by the Board of Regents 194
for Higher Education or Office of Higher Education, and (B) regionally 195
accredited, who has been employed in the same early childhood 196
education program that accepts state funds for infant, toddler and 197
preschool spaces associated with such program's child care program or 198
school readiness program since 1995 shall be considered to meet the staff 199
qualifications required under subparagraphs (B) to (D), inclusive, of 200
subdivision (2) of this subsection until June 30, 2025. On and after July 201
1, 2025, such individual shall hold a childhood development associate 202
credential or an equivalent credential, described in subparagraph (A) of 203
subdivision (2) of this subsection, or otherwise meet the staff 204
qualifications required under subparagraphs (C) and (D) of subdivision 205
(2) of this subsection. Any such individual who terminates his or her 206
employment with such early childhood education program on or before 207
June 30, 2025, and accepts a position at another early childhood 208
education program accepting state funds for spaces associated with 209
such program's child care program or school readiness program shall 210
submit documentation of such individual's progress toward meeting 211
the staff qualification requirements set forth in subparagraph (B) to (D), 212 Raised Bill No. 6686
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inclusive, of subdivision (2) of this subsection in a manner determined 213
by the office.] 214
(2) (A) From July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2027, inclusive, not less than 215
twenty-five per cent of the designated staff members at each state-216
funded child care program shall meet minimum qualifications. 217
(B) From July 1, 2027, to June 30, 2030, inclusive, not less than fifty 218
per cent of the designated staff members at each state-funded child care 219
program shall meet minimum qualifications. 220
(C) From July 1, 2030, to June 30, 2033, inclusive, not less than 221
seventy-five per cent of the designated staff members at each state-222
funded child care program shall meet minimum qualifications. 223
(D) On and after July 1, 2033, not less than one hundred per cent of 224
designated staff members at each state-funded child care program shall 225
meet minimum qualifications. 226
(c) The commissioner shall establish a grant program to provide 227
spaces in accredited school readiness programs located in priority 228
school districts, as described in section 10-266p, or in former priority 229
school districts for eligible children. The state, acting by and in the 230
discretion of the Commissioner of Early Childhood, in consultation with 231
a town or regional school readiness council, may enter into a contract 232
with a municipality, local or regional board of education, regional 233
educational service center, family resource center, provider of a child 234
care center, group child care home or family child care home, as 235
described in section 19a-77, Head Start program, preschool program or 236
other program that meets such standards established by the 237
commissioner, to provide, within available appropriations, state 238
financial assistance. Eligibility shall be determined for a five-year period 239
based on an applicant's designation as a priority school district for the 240
initial year of application, except that if a school district that receives a 241
grant pursuant to this subsection is no longer designated as a priority 242
school district at the end of such five-year period, such former priority 243
school district shall continue to be eligible to receive a grant pursuant to 244 Raised Bill No. 6686
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this subsection. Grant awards shall be made [annually] for the fiscal year 245
ending June 30, 2023, and biennially thereafter, contingent upon 246
available funding and a satisfactory annual evaluation. The chief elected 247
official of such town and the superintendent of schools for such priority 248
school district or former priority school district shall submit a plan for 249
the expenditure of grant funds and responses to the local request for 250
proposal process to the commissioner. The commissioner shall review 251
and approve such plans. The plan shall: (1) Be developed in consultation 252
with the local or regional school readiness council established pursuant 253
to section 10-16r; (2) be based on a needs and resource assessment; (3) 254
provide for the issuance of requests for proposals for providers of 255
accredited school readiness programs, provided, after the initial 256
requests for proposals, facilities that have been approved to operate a 257
child care program financed through the Connecticut Health and 258
Education Facilities Authority and have received a commitment for debt 259
service from the Department of Social Services, pursuant to section 17b-260
749i, on or before June 30, 2014, and on or after July 1, 2014, from the 261
office, are exempt from the requirement for issuance of annual requests 262
for proposals; and (4) identify the need for funding pursuant to section 263
17b-749a in order to extend the hours and days of operation of school 264
readiness programs in order to provide child care services for children 265
attending such programs. 266
(d) (1) The commissioner shall establish a competitive grant program 267
to provide spaces in accredited school readiness programs or school 268
readiness programs seeking accreditation located in (A) an area served 269
by a priority school or a former priority school, (B) a town ranked one 270
to fifty when all towns are ranked in ascending order according to town 271
wealth, as defined in subdivision (26) of section 10-262f, whose school 272
district is not a priority school district pursuant to section 10-266p, (C) a 273
town formerly a town described in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision, 274
as provided for in subdivision (2) of this subsection, or (D) a town 275
designated as an alliance district, as defined in section 10-262u, whose 276
school district is not a priority school district pursuant to section 10-277
266p. A town in which a priority school is located, a regional school 278 Raised Bill No. 6686
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readiness council, pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-16r, for a 279
region in which such a school is located or a town described in 280
subparagraph (B) of this subdivision may apply for such a grant in an 281
amount equal to the number of spaces in an accredited school readiness 282
program or a school readiness program seeking accreditation multiplied 283
by the per child cost set forth in subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of 284
section 10-16q. Eligibility shall be determined for a three-year period 285
based on an applicant's designation as having a priority school or being 286
a town described in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision for the initial 287
year of application. The state, acting by and in the discretion of the 288
Commissioner of Early Childhood, in consultation with a town or 289
regional school readiness council, may enter into a contract with a 290
municipality, local or regional board of education, regional educational 291
service center, family resource center, provider of a child care center, 292
group child care home or family child care home, as described in section 293
19a-77, Head Start program, preschool program or other program that 294
meets such standards established by the commissioner, to provide, 295
within available appropriations, state financial assistance. The chief 296
elected official of such town and the superintendent of schools of the 297
school district or the regional school readiness council shall submit a 298
plan, as described in subsection (c) of this section, for the expenditure of 299
such grant funds to the commissioner. In awarding grants pursuant to 300
this subsection, the commissioner shall give preference to applications 301
submitted by regional school readiness councils and may, within 302
available appropriations, provide a grant to such town or regional 303
school readiness council that increases the number of spaces for eligible 304
children who reside in an area or town described in subparagraphs (A) 305
to (D), inclusive, of this subdivision, in an accredited school readiness 306
program or a school readiness program seeking accreditation. 307
(2) (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (C) of this subdivision, 308
commencing with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2005, if a town received 309
a grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection and is no longer 310
eligible to receive such a grant, the town may receive a phase-out grant 311
for each of the three fiscal years following the fiscal year such town 312 Raised Bill No. 6686
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received its final grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection. 313
(B) The amount of such phase-out grants shall be determined as 314
follows: (i) For the first fiscal year following the fiscal year such town 315
received its final grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, in 316
an amount that does not exceed seventy-five per cent of the grant 317
amount such town received for the town or school's final year of 318
eligibility pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection; (ii) for the 319
second fiscal year following the fiscal year such town received its final 320
grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, in an amount that 321
does not exceed fifty per cent of the grant amount such town received 322
for the town's or school's final year of eligibility pursuant to subdivision 323
(1) of this subsection; and (iii) for the third fiscal year following the fiscal 324
year such town received its final grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of 325
this subsection, in an amount that does not exceed twenty-five per cent 326
of the grant amount such town received for the town's or school's final 327
year of eligibility pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection. 328
(C) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, and each fiscal year 329
thereafter, any town that received a grant pursuant to subparagraph (B) 330
of subdivision (1) of this subsection for the fiscal year ending June 30, 331
2010, shall continue to receive a grant under this subsection even if the 332
town no longer meets the criteria for such grant pursuant to 333
subparagraph (B) of subdivision (1) of this subsection. 334
(e) (1) If funds appropriated for the purposes of subsection (c) of this 335
section are not expended, the commissioner may deposit such 336
unexpended funds in the account established under section 10-16aa and 337
use such unexpended funds in accordance with the provisions of section 338
10-16aa. 339
(2) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015, and each fiscal year 340
thereafter, if funds appropriated for the purposes of subsection (c) of 341
this section are not expended, an amount up to one million dollars of 342
such unexpended funds may be available for the provision of 343
professional development for early childhood care and education 344 Raised Bill No. 6686
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program providers, and staff employed in such programs, provided 345
such programs accept state funds for infant, toddler and preschool slots. 346
Such unexpended funds may be available for use in accordance with the 347
provisions of this subparagraph for the subsequent fiscal year. The 348
commissioner may use such unexpended funds on and after July 1, 2015, 349
to support early childhood education programs accepting state funds in 350
satisfying the staff qualifications requirements of subparagraphs (B) and 351
(C) of subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section. The commissioner 352
shall use any such funds to provide assistance to individual staff 353
members, giving priority to those staff members (A) attending an 354
institution of higher education accredited by the Board of Regents for 355
Higher Education or the Office of Higher Education, and approved by 356
the Office of Early Childhood, and regionally accredited, at a maximum 357
of ten thousand dollars per staff member per year for the cost of higher 358
education courses leading to a bachelor's degree or, not later than 359
December 31, 2015, an associate degree, as such degrees are described 360
in said subparagraphs (B) and (C), or (B) receiving noncredit 361
competency-based training approved by the office, at a maximum of one 362
thousand dollars per staff member per year, provided such staff 363
members have applied for all available federal and state scholarships 364
and grants, and such assistance does not exceed such staff members' 365
financial need. Individual staff members shall apply for such 366
unexpended funds in a manner determined by the commissioner. The 367
commissioner shall determine how such unexpended funds shall be 368
distributed. 369
(3) If funds appropriated for the purposes of subsection (c) of this 370
section are not expended pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, 371
deposited pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, or used 372
pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection, the commissioner may 373
use such unexpended funds to support local school readiness programs. 374
The commissioner may use such funds for purposes including, but not 375
limited to, (A) assisting local school readiness programs in meeting and 376
maintaining accreditation requirements, (B) providing training in 377
implementing the preschool assessment and curriculum frameworks, 378 Raised Bill No. 6686
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including training to enhance literacy teaching skills, (C) developing a 379
state-wide preschool curriculum, (D) developing student assessments 380
for students in grades kindergarten to two, inclusive, (E) developing 381
and implementing best practices for parents in supporting preschool 382
and kindergarten student learning, (F) developing and implementing 383
strategies for children to successfully transition to preschool and from 384
preschool to kindergarten, including through parental engagement and 385
whole-family supports that may be utilized through the two -386
generational initiative, established pursuant to section 17b-112l, or 387
through other available resources, (G) providing for professional 388
development, including assisting in career ladder advancement, for 389
school readiness staff, (H) providing supplemental grants to other 390
towns that are eligible for grants pursuant to subsection (c) of this 391
section, and (I) developing a plan to provide spaces in an accredited 392
school readiness program or a school readiness program seeking 393
accreditation to all eligible children who reside in an area or town 394
described in subparagraphs (A) to (D), inclusive, of subdivision (1) of 395
subsection (d) of this section. 396
(f) Any school readiness program that receives funds pursuant to this 397
section or section 10-16u shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, 398
national origin, gender, religion or disability. For purposes of this 399
section, a nonsectarian program means any public or private school 400
readiness program that is not violative of the Establishment Clause of 401
the Constitution of the State of Connecticut or the Establishment Clause 402
of the Constitution of the United States of America. 403
(g) Subject to the provisions of this subsection, no funds received by 404
a town pursuant to subsection (c) or (d) of this section or section 10-16u 405
shall be used to supplant federal, state or local funding received by such 406
town for early childhood education, provided a town may use an 407
amount determined in accordance with this subsection for coordination, 408
program evaluation and administration. Such amount shall be at least 409
five per cent of the total grant allocation, but not more than seventy-five 410
thousand dollars and shall be determined by the commissioner based 411
on the school readiness grant award allocated to the town pursuant to 412 Raised Bill No. 6686
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subsection (c) or (d) of this section or section 10-16u and the number of 413
operating sites for coordination, program evaluation and 414
administration. Such amount shall be increased by an amount equal to 415
local funding provided for early childhood education coordination, 416
program evaluation and administration, not to exceed twenty-five 417
thousand dollars. Each town that receives a grant pursuant to 418
subsection (c) or (d) of this section or section 10-16u shall designate a 419
person to be responsible for such coordination, program evaluation and 420
administration and to act as a liaison between the town and the 421
commissioner. Each school readiness program that receives funds 422
pursuant to this section or section 10-16u shall provide information to 423
the commissioner or the school readiness council, as requested, that is 424
necessary for purposes of any school readiness program evaluation. 425
(h) Any town receiving a grant pursuant to this section may use such 426
grant, with the approval of the commissioner, to prepare a facility or 427
staff for operating a school readiness program and shall be adjusted 428
based on the number of days of operation of a school readiness program 429
if a shorter term of operation is approved by the commissioner. 430
(i) A town may use grant funds to purchase spaces for eligible 431
children who reside in such town at an accredited school readiness 432
program located in another town. A regional school readiness council 433
may use grant funds to purchase spaces for eligible children who reside 434
in the region covered by the council at an accredited school readiness 435
program located outside such region. 436
(j) Children enrolled in school readiness programs funded pursuant 437
to this section shall not be counted (1) as resident students for purposes 438
of subdivision (22) of section 10-262f, or (2) in the determination of 439
average daily membership pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (a) 440
of section 10-261. 441
(k) (1) Up to two per cent of the amount of the appropriation for this 442
section may be allocated to the competitive grant program pursuant to 443
subsection (d) of this section. The determination of the amount of such 444 Raised Bill No. 6686
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allocation shall be made on or before August first. 445
(2) Up to two per cent of the amount of the appropriation for this 446
section may be used by the commissioner in a manner consistent with 447
the provisions of section 10-509. 448
[(l) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, and each fiscal year 449
thereafter, any school readiness program that (1) is licensed by the 450
Office of Early Childhood pursuant to chapter 368a, (2) provides full-451
day and year-round child care and education programs for children, 452
and (3) receives funds pursuant to this section or section 10-16u, shall 453
use any amount of the per child cost as described in subdivision (1) of 454
subsection (b) of section 10-16q that is over the amount of eight 455
thousand nine hundred twenty-seven dollars, exclusively to increase 456
the salaries of those individuals with direct responsibility for teaching 457
or caring for children in a classroom at such school readiness program.] 458
Sec. 2. Section 10-16t of the general statutes is repealed and the 459
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2023): 460
A local school readiness council may elect to reserve up to five per 461
cent of the spaces in its school readiness programs for children who are 462
five years of age and are eligible to attend school pursuant to section 10-463
15c. Such children shall only be eligible to participate in the school 464
readiness program if (1) they have been in the program for at least one 465
year, [and] (2) the parent or legal guardian of such a child, the school 466
readiness program provider and the local or regional school district in 467
which the child would otherwise be attending school agree that the 468
child [is not ready for kindergarten] would benefit from another year in 469
the program and to defer attendance in kindergarten until the following 470
year, and (3) a written authorization, signed by the parent or guardian 471
of such a child, indicating that such child will not attend kindergarten 472
until the following year is filed with the local or regional school district 473
in which such child would otherwise be attending school. 474
Sec. 3. Subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of section 10-505 of the general 475
statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 476 Raised Bill No. 6686
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(Effective July 1, 2023): 477
(3) "Eligible children" means children (A) [three and] from birth to 478
four years of age, inclusive, and children five years of age who are not 479
eligible to enroll in school pursuant to section 10-15c, or who are eligible 480
to enroll in school and will attend a school readiness program pursuant 481
to section 10-16t, as amended by this act, and (B) who reside (i) in an 482
area served by a priority school or a former priority school, as described 483
in subdivision (2) of subsection (d) of section 10-16p, as amended by this 484
act, (ii) in a town ranked one to fifty when all towns are ranked in 485
ascending order according to town wealth, as defined in subdivision 486
(26) of section 10-262f, whose school district is not a priority school 487
district pursuant to section 10-266p, (iii) in a town formerly a town 488
described in clause (ii) of this subparagraph, as provided for in 489
subdivision (2) of subsection (d) of section 10-16p, as amended by this 490
act, or (iv) in a town designated as an alliance district, as defined in 491
section 10-262u, whose school district is not a priority school district 492
pursuant to section 10-266p; 493
Sec. 4. Subsection (b) of section 8-210 of the general statutes is 494
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 495
2023): 496
(b) The state, acting by and in the discretion of the Commissioner of 497
Early Childhood, may enter into a contract with a municipality, a group 498
child care home or family child care home, as described in section 19a-499
77, a human resource development agency or a nonprofit corporation 500
for state financial assistance in developing and operating child care 501
centers, group child care homes and family child care homes for 502
children disadvantaged by reasons of economic, social or environmental 503
conditions, provided no such financial assistance shall be available for 504
the operating costs of any such child care center, group child care home 505
or family child care home unless it has been licensed by the 506
Commissioner of Early Childhood pursuant to section 19a-80. Such 507
financial assistance shall be available for a program of a municipality, of 508
a group child care home or family child care home, of a human resource 509 Raised Bill No. 6686
LCO No. 3398 17 of 28
development agency or of a nonprofit corporation which may provide 510
for personnel, equipment, supplies, activities, program materials and 511
renovation and remodeling of the physical facilities of such child care 512
centers, group child care homes or family child care homes. Such 513
contract shall provide for state financial assistance, within available 514
appropriations, in the form of a state grant-in-aid (1) for a portion of the 515
cost of such program, as determined by the Commissioner of Early 516
Childhood, if not federally assisted, (2) equal to one-half of the amount 517
by which the net cost of such program, as approved by the 518
Commissioner of Early Childhood, exceeds the federal grant-in-aid 519
thereof, or (3) in an amount not less than (A) the per child cost as 520
described in subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section 10-16q, for each 521
child in such program that is three or four years of age and each child 522
that is five years of age who is not eligible to enroll in school, pursuant 523
to section 10-15c, while maintaining services to children under three 524
years of age under this section, and (B) thirteen thousand five hundred 525
dollars for each child three years of age or under who is in infant or 526
toddler care and not in a preschool program. Any such contract entered 527
into on or after July 1, 2022, shall include a provision that at least sixty 528
per cent of the children enrolled in such child care center, group child 529
care home or family child care home are members of families [that] who 530
are at or below seventy-five per cent of the state median income. [For 531
the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, and each fiscal year thereafter, the 532
amount per child pursuant to subdivision (3) of this subsection that is 533
over the amount of the per child cost that was prescribed pursuant to 534
the contract under said subdivision (3) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 535
2023, shall be used exclusively to increase the salaries of early childhood 536
educators employed at the child care center.] The Commissioner of 537
Early Childhood may authorize child care centers, group child care 538
homes and family child care homes receiving financial assistance under 539
this subsection to apply a program surplus to the next program year. 540
The Commissioner of Early Childhood shall consult with directors of 541
child care centers in establishing fees for the operation of such centers. 542
For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, the Commissioner of Early 543
Childhood shall, within available appropriations, enter into contracts 544 Raised Bill No. 6686
LCO No. 3398 18 of 28
under this section for the purpose of expanding the number of spaces 545
available to children three years of age or under who are in infant or 546
toddler care and not in a preschool program. 547
Sec. 5. Subsections (a) and (b) of section 10-506 of the general statutes 548
are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 549
1, 2023): 550
(a) For the fiscal [years] year ending June 30, 2015, [to June 30, 2024, 551
inclusive] and each fiscal year thereafter, the Office of Early Childhood, 552
in consultation with the Department of Education, shall design and 553
administer the Connecticut Smart Start competitive grant program to 554
provide grants to local and regional boards of education for capital and 555
operating expenses related to establishing or expanding a preschool 556
program under the jurisdiction of the board of education for the town. 557
A local or regional board of education may submit an application to the 558
office, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, 559
and may receive (1) a grant for capital expenses in an amount not to 560
exceed seventy-five thousand dollars per classroom for costs related to 561
the renovation of an existing public school to accommodate the 562
establishment or expansion of a preschool program, and (2) an annual 563
grant for operating expenses (A) in an amount not to exceed five 564
thousand dollars per child served by such grant, or (B) in an amount not 565
to exceed seventy-five thousand dollars for each preschool classroom, 566
provided no town shall receive a total annual grant for operating 567
expenses greater than three hundred thousand dollars. Each local or 568
regional board of education that establishes or expands a preschool 569
program under this section shall be eligible to receive an annual grant 570
for operating expenses for a period of five years, provided such 571
preschool program meets standards established by the Commissioner 572
of Early Childhood. Such local or regional board of education may 573
submit an application for renewal of such grant to the office. 574
(b) On and after July 1, 2014, local and regional boards of education, 575
individually or cooperatively, pursuant to section 10-158a, may apply, 576
at such time and in such manner as the commissioner prescribes, to the 577 Raised Bill No. 6686
LCO No. 3398 19 of 28
office for a capital grant and an operating grant for the purposes 578
described in subsection (a) of this section. To be eligible to receive such 579
grants under this section, an applicant board of education shall (1) 580
demonstrate that it has a need for establishing or expanding a preschool 581
program using information requested by the commissioner on a form 582
prescribed by the commissioner, such as data collected from the 583
preschool experience survey, described in section 10-515, (2) submit a 584
plan for the expenditure of grant funds received under this section that 585
outlines how such board of education will use such funds to establish 586
or expand a preschool program, including, but not limited to, the 587
amount that such board will contribute to the operation of such 588
preschool program and how such board of education will provide 589
access to preschool for children who would not otherwise be able to 590
enroll in a preschool program, and (3) submit a letter of support for 591
establishing or expanding a preschool program by the local or regional 592
school readiness council, described in section 10-16r, if any, for the 593
school district. The commissioner shall give priority to boards of 594
education (A) that demonstrate the greatest need for the establishment 595
or expansion of a preschool program, and (B) whose plan allocates at 596
least sixty per cent of the spaces in such preschool program to children 597
who are members of families [that] who are at or below seventy-five per 598
cent of the state median income. [, or fifty per cent of the spaces in such 599
preschool program to children who are eligible for free and reduced 600
price lunches.] The commissioner, in reviewing applications submitted 601
under this subsection, shall also take into consideration (i) whether an 602
applicant board of education (I) currently offers a full-day kindergarten 603
program, (II) will be cooperating and coordinating with other 604
governmental and community programs to provide services during 605
periods when the preschool program is not in session, or (III) will 606
collaborate with other boards of education, as part of a cooperative 607
arrangement pursuant to section 10-158a, to offer a regional preschool 608
program, and (ii) current community capacity for preschool programs 609
and current opportunities for preschool for children in the community. 610
Sec. 6. Subsection (b) of section 17b-749 of the general statutes is 611 Raised Bill No. 6686
LCO No. 3398 20 of 28
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 612
2023): 613
(b) The commissioner shall establish income standards for applicants 614
and recipients at a level to include a family with gross income up to fifty 615
per cent of the state-wide median income, except the commissioner (1) 616
may increase the income level up to the maximum level allowed under 617
federal law, (2) upon the request of the Commissioner of Children and 618
Families, may waive the income standards for adoptive families so that 619
children adopted on or after October 1, 1999, from the Department of 620
Children and Families are eligible for the child care subsidy program, 621
and (3) [on and after March 1, 2003, shall reduce the income eligibility 622
level to up to fifty-five per cent of the state-wide median income for 623
applicants and recipients who qualify based on their loss of eligibility 624
for temporary family assistance] shall establish a two-tiered income 625
eligibility threshold in accordance with 45 CFR 98.21(b), as amended 626
from time to time. The commissioner may adopt regulations in 627
accordance with chapter 54 to establish income criteria and durational 628
requirements for such waiver of income standards. 629
Sec. 7. Subsection (b) of section 10-500 of the general statutes is 630
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 631
2023): 632
(b) The office shall be responsible for: 633
(1) Delivering services to young children and their families to ensure 634
optimal health, safety and learning for each young child, including, but 635
not limited to, coordinating agency efforts and data sharing in the two-636
generational initiative established pursuant to section 17b-112l; 637
(2) Developing and implementing the early childhood information 638
system, in accordance with the provisions of section 10-501; 639
(3) Developing and reporting on the early childhood accountability 640
plan, in accordance with the provisions of section 10-503; 641 Raised Bill No. 6686
LCO No. 3398 21 of 28
(4) Implementing a communications strategy for outreach to families, 642
service providers and policymakers; 643
(5) Beginning a state-wide longitudinal evaluation of the school 644
readiness program examining the educational progress of children from 645
prekindergarten programs to grade four, inclusive; 646
(6) Developing, coordinating and supporting public and private 647
partnerships to aid early childhood initiatives; 648
(7) Developing a state-wide developmentally appropriate 649
kindergarten entrance inventory that measures a child's level of 650
preparedness for kindergarten, but shall not be used as a measurement 651
tool for program accountability; 652
(8) Creating a unified set of reporting requirements for the purpose 653
of collecting the data elements necessary to perform quality assessments 654
and longitudinal analysis; 655
(9) Comparing and analyzing data collected pursuant to reporting 656
requirements created under subdivision (8) of this subsection with the 657
data collected in the state-wide public school information system, 658
pursuant to section 10-10a, for population-level analysis of children and 659
families; 660
(10) Continually monitoring and evaluating all early care and 661
education and child development programs and services, focusing on 662
program outcomes in satisfying the health, safety, developmental and 663
educational needs of all children; 664
(11) Coordinating home visitation services across programs for 665
young children; 666
(12) Providing information and technical assistance to persons 667
seeking early care and education and child development programs and 668
services; 669
(13) Assisting state agencies and municipalities in obtaining available 670 Raised Bill No. 6686
LCO No. 3398 22 of 28
federal funding for early care and education and child development 671
programs and services; 672
(14) Providing technical assistance to providers of early care and 673
education programs and services to obtain licensing and improve 674
program quality; 675
(15) Establishing a quality rating and improvement system 676
developed by the office that covers home-based, center-based and 677
school-based early child care and learning; 678
(16) Maintaining an accreditation facilitation initiative to assist early 679
childhood care and education program and service providers in 680
achieving national standards and program improvement; 681
(17) Consulting with the Early Childhood Cabinet, established 682
pursuant to section 10-16z, and the Head Start advisory committee, 683
established pursuant to section 10-16n; 684
(18) Ensuring a coordinated and comprehensive state-wide system of 685
professional development for providers and staff of early care and 686
education and child development programs and services; 687
(19) Providing families with opportunities for choice in services 688
including quality child care and community-based family-centered 689
services; 690
(20) Integrating early childhood care and education and special 691
education services; 692
(21) Promoting universal access to early childhood care and 693
education; 694
(22) Ensuring nonduplication of monitoring and evaluation; 695
(23) Performing any other activities that will assist in the provision of 696
early care and education and child development programs and services; 697
(24) Developing early learning and development standards to be 698 Raised Bill No. 6686
LCO No. 3398 23 of 28
used by early care and education providers; 699
(25) Developing and implementing a performance-based evaluation 700
system to evaluate licensed child care centers, in accordance with the 701
provisions of section 17b-749f; [and] 702
(26) Promoting the delivery of services to infants and toddlers to 703
ensure optimal health, safety and learning of children from birth to three 704
years of age; and 705
(27) Establishing a parent cabinet to advise the office on ways to 706
strengthen partnership and communication with families, bring 707
awareness to gaps and barriers to services, increase access to services for 708
families and help make improvements to the lives of young children and 709
families in the state. 710
Sec. 8. Section 10-502 of the general statutes is repealed and the 711
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2023): 712
The Office of Early Childhood shall collaborate with and may, within 713
available appropriations, provide funding to local [and regional] early 714
childhood [councils] collaboratives for the implementation of early care 715
and education and child development programs at the local level. Such 716
local early childhood [councils] collaboratives shall: (1) Develop and 717
implement a comprehensive plan for an early childhood system for the 718
community served by such local early childhood [council] collaborative, 719
(2) develop policy and program planning, (3) encourage community 720
participation by emphasizing substantial parental involvement, (4) 721
collect, analyze and evaluate data with a focus on program and service 722
outcomes, (5) allocate resources, and (6) perform any other functions 723
that will assist in the provision of early childhood programs and 724
services. Such local early childhood [councils] collaboratives may enter 725
into memoranda of agreement with the local or regional school 726
readiness council, described in section 10-16r, of the town or region 727
served by such local early childhood [council] collaborative to perform 728
the duties and functions of a school readiness council, in accordance 729
with the provisions of section 10-16r, or if no such local or regional 730 Raised Bill No. 6686
LCO No. 3398 24 of 28
school readiness council exists for the town or region of such local early 731
childhood [council] collaborative, perform the duties and functions of a 732
school readiness council, in accordance with the provisions of section 733
10-16r. 734
Sec. 9. Subsections (d) and (e) of section 19a-87a of the general statutes 735
are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 736
1, 2023): 737
(d) Any person having reasonable cause to believe that a child care 738
center or a group child care home is operating without a current and 739
valid license or in violation of regulations adopted under section 19a-79 740
or in a manner which may pose a potential danger to the health, welfare 741
and safety of a child receiving child care services, may report such 742
information to the Office of Early Childhood. The office shall investigate 743
any report or complaint received pursuant to this subsection. The name 744
of the person making the report or complaint shall not be disclosed 745
unless (1) such person consents to such disclosure, (2) a judicial or 746
administrative proceeding results therefrom, [or] (3) a license action 747
pursuant to subsection (a) of this section results therefrom, or (4) a state 748
or federal law enforcement officer, including, but not limited to, a 749
military law enforcement authority under the United States Department 750
of Defense, requests such information. All records obtained by the office 751
in connection with any such investigation shall not be subject to the 752
provisions of section 1-210 for a period of thirty days from the date of 753
the petition or other event initiating such investigation, or until such 754
time as the investigation is terminated pursuant to a withdrawal or 755
other informal disposition or until a hearing is convened pursuant to 756
chapter 54, whichever is earlier, except such records, whether obtained 757
or generated by the office, shall be disclosed, without redaction, to a 758
state or federal law enforcement officer, including, but not limited to, a 759
military law enforcement authority under the United States Department 760
of Defense upon written request. A formal statement of charges issued 761
by the office shall be subject to the provisions of section 1-210 from the 762
time that it is served or mailed to the respondent. Records which are 763
otherwise public records shall not be deemed confidential merely 764 Raised Bill No. 6686
LCO No. 3398 25 of 28
because they have been obtained in connection with an investigation 765
under this section. 766
(e) In addition to any powers the office may have, in any investigation 767
(1) concerning an application, reinstatement or renewal of a license for 768
a child care center, a group child care home or a family child care home, 769
as such terms are defined in section 19a-77, (2) of a complaint concerning 770
child care services, as described in section 19a-77, or (3) concerning the 771
possible provision of unlicensed child care services, the office may 772
administer oaths, issue subpoenas, compel testimony, [and] order the 773
production of books, records and documents and order any person who 774
(A) owns, conducts, maintains or operates a child care center, group 775
child care home or family child care home or who has an ownership 776
interest in or serves as an officer, corporate director or managing 777
member of such center or home, and (B) provides child care or 778
participates in the management of the provision of child care to submit 779
to a medical examination by a physician, physician assistant or 780
advanced practice registered nurse. Such physician, physician assistant 781
or advanced practice registered nurse shall make a written statement of 782
the findings from such medical examination. If any person refuses to 783
appear, testify, [or] produce any book, record or document or submit to 784
a medical examination when so ordered, a judge of the Superior Court 785
shall have jurisdiction and may make such order as may be appropriate 786
to aid in the enforcement of this section. 787
Sec. 10. Subsection (e) of section 19a-87e of the general statutes is 788
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 789
2023): 790
(e) Any person having reasonable cause to believe that a family child 791
care home, as defined in section 19a-77, is operating without a current 792
and valid license or in violation of the regulations adopted under section 793
19a-87b or in a manner which may pose a potential danger to the health, 794
welfare and safety of a child receiving child care services, may report 795
such information to the Office of Early Childhood. The office shall 796
investigate any report or complaint received pursuant to this subsection. 797 Raised Bill No. 6686
LCO No. 3398 26 of 28
The name of the person making the report or complaint shall not be 798
disclosed unless (1) such person consents to such disclosure, (2) a 799
judicial or administrative proceeding results from such report or 800
complaint, [or] (3) a license action pursuant to subsection (a) of this 801
section results from such report or complaint, or (4) a state or federal 802
law enforcement officer, including, but not limited to, a military law 803
enforcement authority under the United States Department of Defense, 804
requests such information. All records obtained by the office in 805
connection with any such investigation shall not be subject to the 806
provisions of section 1-210 for a period of thirty days from the date of 807
the petition or other event initiating such investigation, or until such 808
time as the investigation is terminated pursuant to a withdrawal or 809
other informal disposition or until a hearing is convened pursuant to 810
chapter 54, whichever is earlier, except such records, whether obtained 811
or generated by the office, shall be disclosed, without redaction, to a 812
state or federal law enforcement officer, including, but not limited to, a 813
military law enforcement authority under the United States Department 814
of Defense upon written request. A formal statement of charges issued 815
by the office shall be subject to the provisions of section 1-210 from the 816
time that it is served or mailed to the respondent. Records which are 817
otherwise public records shall not be deemed confidential merely 818
because they have been obtained in connection with an investigation 819
under this section. 820
Sec. 11. Section 19a-429 of the general statutes is repealed and the 821
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2023): 822
Any person having reasonable cause to believe that a youth camp, as 823
defined in section 19a-420, is operating without a current and valid 824
license or in violation of regulations adopted under section 19a-428 or 825
in a manner which may pose a potential danger to the health, welfare 826
and safety of a child receiving youth camp services, may report such 827
information to the office. The office shall investigate any report or 828
complaint received pursuant to this section. In connection with any 829
investigation of a youth camp, the commissioner or the commissioner's 830
authorized agent may administer oaths, issue subpoenas, compel 831 Raised Bill No. 6686
LCO No. 3398 27 of 28
testimony and order the production of books, records and documents. 832
If any person refuses to appear, to testify or to produce any book, record 833
or document when so ordered, a judge of the Superior Court may make 834
such order as may be appropriate to aid in the enforcement of this 835
section. The name of the person making the report or complaint shall 836
not be disclosed unless (1) such person consents to such disclosure, (2) 837
a judicial or administrative proceeding results therefrom, [or] (3) a 838
license action pursuant to section 19a-423 results from such report or 839
complaint, or (4) a state or federal law enforcement officer, including, 840
but not limited to, a military law enforcement authority under the 841
United States Department of Defense, requests such information. All 842
records obtained by the office in connection with any such investigation 843
shall not be subject to the provisions of section 1-210 for a period of 844
thirty days from the date of the petition or other event initiating such 845
investigation, or until such time as the investigation is terminated 846
pursuant to a withdrawal or other informal disposition or until a 847
hearing is convened pursuant to chapter 54, whichever is earlier, except 848
such records, whether obtained or generated by the office, shall be 849
disclosed, without redaction, to a state or federal law enforcement 850
officer, including, but not limited to, a military law enforcement 851
authority under the United States Department of Defense upon written 852
request. A formal statement of charges issued by the office shall be 853
subject to the provisions of section 1-210 from the time that it is served 854
or mailed to the respondent. Records which are otherwise public 855
records shall not be deemed confidential merely because they have been 856
obtained in connection with an investigation under this section. 857
Sec. 12. Section 10-520b of the general statutes is repealed. (Effective 858
July 1, 2023) 859
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2023 10-16p
Sec. 2 July 1, 2023 10-16t
Sec. 3 July 1, 2023 10-505(a)(3)
Sec. 4 July 1, 2023 8-210(b) Raised Bill No. 6686
LCO No. 3398 28 of 28
Sec. 5 July 1, 2023 10-506(a) and (b)
Sec. 6 July 1, 2023 17b-749(b)
Sec. 7 July 1, 2023 10-500(b)
Sec. 8 July 1, 2023 10-502
Sec. 9 July 1, 2023 19a-87a(d) and (e)
Sec. 10 July 1, 2023 19a-87e(e)
Sec. 11 July 1, 2023 19a-429
Sec. 12 July 1, 2023 Repealer section
Statement of Purpose:
To (1) amend school readiness programs by allowing children to
become eligible at birth rather than age three, requiring grant awards
every two years rather than annually, removing the requirement that
rate increases be used exclusively for staff salaries and requiring that a
written authorization signed by parents be filed with a school district
upon agreement that a child will attend a school readiness program for
another year rather than attend school; (2) remove the requirement that
rate increases for child care centers be used exclusively for staff salaries;
(3) amend the Smart Start program by removing the sunset date and by
removing the requirement that programs in which fifty per cent or more
of children are eligible for free or reduced priced lunches be given a
priority for grants; (4) simplify and extend staff qualification
requirements at state-funded child care programs and repeal the
requirement to issue early childhood teacher credentials; (5) require the
establishment of a two-tier income eligibility threshold for the child care
subsidy program to comply with federal regulations; (6) allow the
establishment of a parent cabinet; (7) rename "early childhood council"
to "local early childhood collaborative"; (8) allow the Office of Early
Childhood to order a medical examination during an investigation of a
child care center, group child care home or family child care home; and
(9) to allow the disclosure, without redaction, to a law enforcement
officer, upon request, of the name of a person making a report or
complaint and any records resulting from an investigation of a child
care center, group child care home, family child care home or youth
camp.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]