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General Assembly Governor's Bill No. 5051
February Session, 2024
LCO No. 585
Referred to Committee on EDUCATION
Introduced by:
Request of the Governor Pursuant
to Joint Rule 9
AN ACT ESTABLISHING EARLY START CT.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) As used in this section and 1
sections 2 to 11, inclusive, of this act: 2
(1) "Accredited" means accredited by the National Association for the 3
Education of Young Children, National Association for Family Child 4
Care, Early Head Start or Head Start federal approval, or other 5
nationally recognized accreditations or certifications as approved by the 6
commissioner; 7
(2) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Early Childhood; 8
(3) "Office" means the Office of Early Childhood; and 9
(4) "Early Start CT" means the state-funded early care and education 10
system administered by the office that coordinates and facilitates the 11
efficient delivery of early childhood care and education programs for 12
eligible children. 13 Governor's Bill No. 5051
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Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) The Office of Early Childhood 14
shall operate and administer Early Start CT in order to: 15
(1) Provide open access for infants and toddlers and preschool-age 16
children to high-quality programs that promote the health and safety of 17
children and prepare them for school; 18
(2) Provide opportunities for parents to choose among affordable and 19
accredited and Head Start approved programs; 20
(3) Encourage coordination and cooperation among programs and 21
prevent the duplication of services; 22
(4) Recognize the specific service needs and unique resources 23
available to particular municipalities; 24
(5) Prevent or minimize the potential for developmental delay in 25
children prior to their reaching the age of five; 26
(6) Strengthen the family through: (A) Encouragement of family 27
engagement and partnership in a child's development and education, 28
and (B) enhancement of a family's capacity to meet the special needs of 29
the children, including children with disabilities; 30
(7) Reduce educational costs by decreasing the need for special 31
education services for school-age children; 32
(8) Assure that children with disabilities are integrated into programs 33
available to children who do not have disabilities; 34
(9) Improve the availability and quality of Early Start CT programs 35
and their coordination with the services of child care providers; 36
(10) Facilitate the racial, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of the 37
children, families and staff in Early Start CT programs; and 38
(11) Maximize local and federal early childhood education funding 39
to expand capacity and access. 40 Governor's Bill No. 5051
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Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) The Office of Early Childhood 41
shall establish a sliding fee scale for families participating in Early Start 42
CT. Such sliding scale shall be based on family income and align with 43
the sliding fee scale used in the child care subsidy program described in 44
section 17b-249 of the general statutes. 45
Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) The Commissioner of Early 46
Childhood shall implement policies and procedures necessary to (1) 47
administer the provisions of sections 1 to 3, inclusive, and 5 to 11, 48
inclusive, of this act, (2) implement infant and toddler and school-age 49
ratios and group size requirements, and (3) implement head teacher 50
staffing requirements for programs that serve only school-age children, 51
while in the process of adopting such policies and procedures in 52
regulation form. Any existing regulations relating to infant and toddler 53
and school-age ratios, group size requirements and head teacher 54
staffing requirements for programs that serve only school-age children 55
that are generally applicable to child care centers and group child care 56
homes shall continue to be applicable to such centers and homes that 57
serve infants and toddlers and school-age children until replaced by the 58
policies and procedures described in this section. The commissioner 59
shall post notice of the intent to adopt regulations on the department's 60
Internet web site and the eRegulations System not later than twenty 61
days after the date of implementation of such policies and procedures. 62
Such policies and procedures shall be valid until the time final 63
regulations are adopted. 64
Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) As part of Early Start CT, the 65
state, acting by and in the discretion of the Commissioner of Early 66
Childhood, may enter into direct or third-party contracts to provide 67
financial assistance to municipalities, local and regional boards of 68
education, regional educational service centers, family resource centers, 69
Head Start programs, preschool programs, nonprofit organizations, 70
child care centers, group child care homes, family child care homes, as 71
such terms are described in section 19a-77 of the general statutes, and 72
any other programs that meet standards established by the 73
commissioner for the purpose of operating early childhood care and 74 Governor's Bill No. 5051
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education programs that focus on providing early childhood access 75
based on economic, social or environmental conditions, including in 76
regions with insufficient access to child care. At least sixty per cent of 77
the eligible children participating in Early Start CT and enrolled in a 78
child care center, group child care home or family child care home shall 79
be members of a family that is at or below seventy-five per cent of the 80
state median income. No such financial assistance shall be available to 81
(1) any such child care center, group child care home or family child care 82
home unless such center or home has been licensed by the 83
Commissioner of Early Childhood pursuant to section 19a-80 or 19a-87b 84
of the general statutes, as amended by this act, or (2) any such local or 85
regional board of education or regional educational service center 86
unless the preschool program is approved by the Department of 87
Education. The majority of such programs eligible for such financial 88
assistance shall serve children that reside in or attend programs located 89
in priority school districts pursuant to section 10-266p of the general 90
statutes, former priority school districts or towns with schools deemed 91
severe need schools because forty per cent or more of the lunches served 92
are served to students who are eligible for free or reduced price lunches 93
pursuant to federal law. In determining eligibility for financial 94
assistance, the commissioner may consider (A) a community's 95
participation in the state's subsidized child care subsidy program 96
established pursuant to section 17b-749 of the general statutes, as 97
amended by this act, and (B) the Centers for Disease Control and 98
Prevention's social vulnerability index determined by census tract, and 99
such index may include a review of a community's indices of social, 100
economic, racial, ethnic, housing, transportation and household 101
characteristics as determined by the Centers for Disease Control and 102
Prevention. 103
(b) Any contract entered into under this section shall be made 104
contingent upon available funding and a successful application to a 105
request for proposal issued by the office and informed by the 106
appropriate local governance partner's needs assessment and 107
community plan, as described in section 8 of this act. Any Early Start CT 108 Governor's Bill No. 5051
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facility that has been approved to operate a child care program financed 109
through the Connecticut Health and Education Facilities Authority and 110
has received a commitment for debt service from the Department of 111
Social Services, pursuant to section 17b-749i of the general statutes, on 112
or before June 30, 2014, and on or after July 1, 2014, from the office are 113
exempt from the requirement for issuance of requests for proposals. 114
(c) The office, in operating and administering Early Start CT, shall 115
allocate an amount up to ten per cent of the total funding for each town 116
or city, or, in the case of a regional application, the participating towns 117
or cities, but not more than one hundred fifty thousand dollars per town 118
or city, for coordination, program evaluation and administration. Such 119
amount shall be increased by an amount equal to local funding provided 120
for early childhood education coordination, program evaluation and 121
administration, not to exceed fifty thousand dollars. Each local 122
governance partner, established pursuant to section 8 of this act, shall 123
designate a staff person to be responsible for such coordination, 124
program evaluation and administration and to act as a liaison between 125
the town and the commissioner. 126
(d) Any program under Early Start CT that receives funds pursuant 127
to this section shall not discriminate based on ancestry, race, color, 128
national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, 129
religion, learning, physical, intellectual or mental disability or any other 130
protected class described in chapter 814c of the general statutes. 131
(e) No funds received as part of Early Start CT under this section shall 132
be used to supplant federal, state or local funding received for early 133
childhood education on behalf of children in an early childhood 134
education program. 135
(f) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, the office may pay, in an 136
individual contract entered into under this section, a per-child rate, or 137
an equivalent per-classroom rate, that has been determined by the 138
commissioner. The per-child cost paid by the office under this section 139
for each eligible child enrolled in a program under Early Start CT who 140 Governor's Bill No. 5051
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is three or four years of age and each child who is five years of age and 141
not eligible to enroll in school, pursuant to section 10-15c of the general 142
statutes, shall be at least ten thousand five hundred dollars for each such 143
child, or paid at an equivalent rate and amount per classroom for 144
eighteen children. For each eligible child who is under the age of three 145
and enrolled in an infant or toddler classroom and not in a preschool 146
classroom, the per-child cost paid by the office shall be at least thirteen 147
thousand five hundred dollars for each such child, or paid at an 148
equivalent rate and amount per classroom of eight children. The office 149
shall use data-driven, outcomes-based contract provisions to facilitate 150
and incentivize full enrollment. 151
(g) The office may use up to three per cent of funds allocated to the 152
early care and education appropriation to evaluate program 153
effectiveness and impact on participating children, families and 154
programs, including, but not limited to, child outcomes, later school 155
performance, quality standards, professional development and 156
preparation, and parent engagement impact. 157
Sec. 6. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) Except as otherwise provided 158
in subsection (b) of this section, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 159
and each fiscal year thereafter, if funds appropriated to the Office of 160
Early Childhood for Early Start CT are not expended by the 161
Commissioner of Early Childhood, an amount up to two million dollars 162
of such unexpended funds may be available (1) for the provision of 163
professional development for early childhood care and education 164
program providers, and staff employed in such programs, provided 165
such programs accept state funds for infant, toddler and preschool slots, 166
or (2) to support early childhood education programs in satisfying the 167
staff qualifications requirements, provided such programs accept state 168
funds. The commissioner shall determine how such unexpected funds 169
shall be distributed. 170
(b) If any unexpended funds described in subsection (a) of this section 171
are not expended by the office under said subsection (a), the 172
commissioner, with the consent of the Secretary of the Office of Policy 173 Governor's Bill No. 5051
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and Management, may use such unexpended funds to provide support 174
for purposes that include, but are not limited to, (1) assisting programs 175
in meeting and maintaining accreditation requirements, (2) providing 176
training in implementing preschool assessments and curricula, 177
including training to enhance literacy teaching skills, (3) developing and 178
implementing best practices for parents in supporting preschool and 179
kindergarten student learning, (4) developing and implementing 180
strategies for children to successfully transition to preschool and from 181
preschool to kindergarten, including through parental engagement and 182
whole-family supports that may be utilized through the two -183
generational initiative, established pursuant to section 17b-112l of the 184
general statutes, or through other available resources, and (5) providing 185
for professional development. 186
Sec. 7. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) Any program participating in 187
Early Start CT, including, but not limited to, licensed family child care 188
homes, group child care homes, child care centers and other licensed 189
exempt child care providers and settings, shall be accredited or Early 190
Head Start or Head Start approved not later than three years after 191
entering into a contract with the Office of Early Childhood to serve 192
children under Early Start CT. Any such program that is not accredited 193
shall have an approved program plan not later than twelve months after 194
entering into a contract with the office. 195
Sec. 8. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) There shall be established local 196
governance partners to assist in the provision of early care and 197
education in a community under Early Start CT. Two or more towns or 198
school districts and appropriate representatives of groups or entities 199
interested in early childhood education in a region may establish a 200
regional governance partner. 201
(b) The membership of each local governance partner shall reflect the 202
racial, ethnic and socioeconomic composition of the town or region it 203
serves and consist of early care and education stakeholders, including, 204
but not limited to, elected and appointed officials, parents, 205
representatives with expertise in early childhood education, a 206 Governor's Bill No. 5051
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representative, where applicable, of Smart Start established pursuant to 207
section 10-506 of the general statutes, local education and healthcare 208
providers in the community, a local homeless education liaison, 209
community representatives from a workforce or job training entity and 210
other community representatives who provide services to children. 211
(c) The role and responsibilities of a local governance partner shall 212
include, but are not limited to, (1) conducting and administering a data-213
driven needs assessment for its respective community or region in 214
accordance with the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, (2) 215
employing strategies to solicit parental engagement and membership, 216
(3) providing periodic technical assistance regarding best practices in 217
early childhood and family engagement for its town or region, (4) jointly 218
sponsoring with the office, professional development opportunities, 219
and (5) ensuring that community outreach is regularly conducted and 220
maintained with community stakeholders. 221
(d) Each local governance partner shall conduct a data-driven needs 222
assessment for the town or region in which such partner serves. Such 223
needs assessment may include recommendations for the preferred 224
distribution and allocation of child care spaces within such partner's 225
respective town or region, and, subject to the office's approval, may 226
include a data-driven methodology to reassign child care spaces before 227
the contract date has lapsed. Such needs assessment shall be created by 228
the office in collaboration with communities and shall directly inform, 229
among other things, the assignment of child care spaces across a mixed-230
delivery system, including, but not limited to, licensed family child care 231
providers, group child care homes, child care centers and license-232
exempt public schools. 233
(e) Each local governance partner shall employ a staff liaison to aid 234
and support the local governance partner in implementing the 235
provisions of this section. Each staff liaison shall ensure (1) that 236
partnerships are established and fostered among child care providers, 237
(2) that cooperation is maintained with the Office of Early Childhood in 238
monitoring and evaluating child care programs, (3) that existing and 239 Governor's Bill No. 5051
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potential resources and services available to children and families are 240
identified, (4) facilitation and coordination of efficient, data-driven, 241
delivery of services to children and families, including (A) referral 242
procedures, and (B) before and after school child care for children 243
attending school day, school year programs, (5) the exchange of 244
information with other community organizations serving the needs of 245
children and families, (6) that recommendations are made to school 246
officials concerning transition from child care programs to preschool 247
programs and kindergarten, (7) that effective community engagement 248
strategies are employed to ensure diverse participation, (8) that 249
biannual child assessments, approved by the office, are performed at 250
programs, and conducted in partnership with families, and (9) 251
collaboration with the office related to planning improvements to the 252
state early care and education governance structure. 253
(f) The office shall monitor each local governance partner to ensure 254
compliance with the provisions of this section. 255
Sec. 9. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) As used in this section: 256
(1) "Office of Early Childhood funded early childhood education 257
program" means a program that accepts state funds directly from the 258
office or indirectly through office subcontractors, for any combination 259
of infant, toddler, preschool and before and after school, but does not 260
include the child care subsidy program established pursuant to section 261
17b-749 of the general statutes, as amended by this act. 262
(2) "Designated staff member" means the person assigned the 263
primary responsibility for a classroom of children. 264
(3) "Designated qualified staff member" means a designated staff 265
member who possesses at least one of the following: 266
(A) A bachelor's degree or higher with a concentration in early 267
childhood education from an institution of higher education that is (i) 268
regionally accredited and accredited by the National Association for the 269
Education of Young Children, (ii) regionally accredited and working 270 Governor's Bill No. 5051
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toward achieving accreditation from the National Association for the 271
Education of Young Children, or (iii) regionally accredited; 272
(B) A certificate issued pursuant to section 10-145b of the general 273
statutes with an endorsement in early childhood education or early 274
childhood special education; 275
(C) Deemed to meet the bachelor's degree requirements by the office 276
by confirmed employment, without a concentration in early childhood 277
education, but with at least twelve early childhood credits from an 278
institution of higher education that is regionally accredited; 279
(D) A bachelor's degree from an institution of higher education that 280
is regionally accredited, without a concentration in early childhood 281
education, but with at least twelve applicable early childhood credits as 282
determined by the office; 283
(E) Permission from the office if such designated staff member is 284
enrolled in an institution of higher education and engaged in and 285
making progress in an early childhood planned program of study 286
leading to an early childhood bachelor's degree. 287
(b) When a bachelor-level designated qualified staff member is not 288
assigned, a person may be deemed a designated qualified staff member 289
if such person possesses at least one of the qualifications included in 290
subsection (c) of this section and is under the supervision of an on-site 291
bachelor's degree designated qualified staff member, except any family 292
child care home provider that accepts state funds shall meet the 293
designated qualified staff member qualifications. 294
(c) When a bachelor's degree designated qualified staff member 295
supervises an associate degree designated qualified staff member, the 296
person possessing a bachelor's degree may supervise off-site. The 297
designated qualified staff member, under the supervision of a bachelor-298
level qualified staff member, shall possess at least one of the following: 299
(1) An associate degree or higher with a concentration in early 300 Governor's Bill No. 5051
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childhood education from an institution of higher education that is (i) 301
regionally accredited and accredited by the National Association for the 302
Education of Young Children, (ii) regionally accredited and working 303
toward achieving accreditation from the National Association for the 304
Education of Young Children, or (iii) regionally accredited; 305
(2) Deemed to meet the associate degree requirements by the office 306
through confirmed employment in the Early Childhood Professional 307
Registry, without a concentration in early childhood education, but with 308
at least twelve early childhood credits from an institution of higher 309
education that is regionally accredited; 310
(3) An associate degree from an institution of higher education that is 311
regionally accredited, without a concentration in early childhood 312
education, but with at least twelve applicable early childhood credits as 313
determined by the office; 314
(4) Permission from the office if such designated qualified staff 315
member is enrolled in an institution of higher education and engaged in 316
an early childhood planned program of study leading to an early 317
childhood associate degree. 318
(d) (1) From July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2027, inclusive, twenty-five per 319
cent of the designated staff members at each Office of Early Childhood 320
funded early childhood education program shall be designated 321
qualified staff members meeting one of the criteria at the bachelor's 322
degree level. For family child care providers accepting state funds, the 323
designated qualified staff member shall have achieved or be working 324
toward an early childhood associate degree or bachelor's degree. 325
(2) From July 1, 2027, to June 30, 2030, inclusive, fifty per cent of the 326
designated qualified members at each Office of Early Childhood funded 327
early childhood education program shall be designated qualified staff 328
members meeting one of the criteria at the bachelor's degree level. For 329
family child care providers accepting state funds, the designated 330
qualified staff member shall have achieved or be working toward an 331
early childhood associate degree or bachelor's degree. 332 Governor's Bill No. 5051
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(3) On and after July 1, 2030, sixty per cent of the designated qualified 333
members at each Office of Early Childhood funded child care program 334
shall be designated qualified staff members meeting one of the criteria 335
at the bachelor's degree level. For family child care providers accepting 336
state funds, the designated qualified staff member shall have achieved 337
or be working toward an early childhood associate degree or bachelor's 338
degree. 339
Sec. 10. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) As part of Early Start CT, the 340
Commissioner of Early Childhood shall establish a state-funded 341
competitive program in which contracts are entered into with nonprofit 342
agencies and local and regional boards of education, which are federal 343
Head Start grantees, to assist in (1) establishing extended-day and full-344
day, year-round, Head Start programs or expanding existing Head Start 345
programs to extended-day or full-day, year-round programs, (2) 346
enhancing program quality, (3) increasing the number of children 347
served in programs that are both a Head Start program and Early Head 348
Start grantee or delegate, (4) increasing the number of Early Head Start 349
children served above those who are federally funded, and (5) 350
increasing the hours for children currently receiving Early Head Start 351
services. Nonprofit agencies or boards of education seeking contracts 352
pursuant to this section shall make application to the commissioner on 353
such forms and at such times as the commissioner shall prescribe. The 354
commissioner shall include contract provisions that mandate at least 355
twenty-five per cent of the funding for such contracts shall be for the 356
purpose of enhancing program quality. All contracts entered into under 357
this section shall be funded within the limits of available appropriations 358
or otherwise from federal funds and private donations. All Head Start 359
programs funded pursuant to this section shall be in compliance with 360
federal Head Start performance standards. 361
(b) The commissioner may adopt regulations, in accordance with the 362
provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes, for purposes of this 363
section. 364
Sec. 11. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) Notwithstanding the provisions 365 Governor's Bill No. 5051
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of sections 4-98, 4-212 to 4-219, inclusive, 4a-51 and 4a-57 of the general 366
statutes, the Commissioner of Early Childhood may allocate funds to 367
regional educational service centers for the provision of professional 368
development services, technical assistance and evaluation and program 369
planning and implementation activities, local and regional boards of 370
education, child care centers, group child care homes and family child 371
care homes, as such terms are described in section 19a-77 of the general 372
statutes, and other early childhood care and education entities, as 373
determined by the commissioner. Any funds allocated by the 374
commissioner under this section shall be expended in accordance with 375
procedures and conditions prescribed by the commissioner. 376
Sec. 12. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2024) (a) The Office of Early 377
Childhood shall, within available appropriations, establish and 378
administer the Tri-Share Child Care Matching Program serving New 379
London County. Under such program, child care costs shall be shared 380
equally among participating employers, employees and the state. 381
(b) The office shall select a regional or state-wide educational or 382
business organization to collaborate with employers and participating 383
licensed child care providers to provide child care placement for 384
participating employees. 385
(c) An administrator shall serve as an intermediary among 386
participating employers, employees and licensed child care providers 387
and perform fiduciary, administrative and outreach services to recruit 388
employer participation in the program. Not more than ten per cent of 389
the administrator's award may be used for administrative costs. 390
(d) The Commissioner of Early Childhood shall establish policies and 391
procedures to implement the provisions of this section. 392
Sec. 13. Subsection (b) of section 17b-749 of the 2024 supplement to 393
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 394
thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 395
(b) The commissioner shall establish income standards for applicants 396 Governor's Bill No. 5051
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and recipients at a level to include a family with gross income up to 397
[fifty] sixty-five per cent of the state-wide median income, except the 398
commissioner (1) may increase the income level up to the maximum 399
level allowed under federal law, (2) upon the request of the 400
Commissioner of Children and Families, may waive the income 401
standards for adoptive families so that children adopted on or after 402
October 1, 1999, from the Department of Children and Families are 403
eligible for the child care subsidy program, and (3) shall establish a two-404
tiered income eligibility threshold in accordance with 45 CFR 98.21(b), 405
as amended from time to time. The commissioner may adopt 406
regulations in accordance with chapter 54 to establish income criteria 407
and durational requirements for such waiver of income standards. 408
Sec. 14. (Effective July 1, 2024) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 409
the office may pay, in an individual contract entered into under sections 410
8-210, as amended by this act, and 10-16p of the general statutes, or a 411
grant awarded pursuant to section 10-16n of the general statutes, as 412
amended by this act, a per-child rate, or an equivalent per-classroom 413
rate, that has been determined by the commissioner. The per-child cost 414
paid by the office under this section for each eligible child enrolled in a 415
program who is three or four years of age and each child who is five 416
years of age and not eligible to enroll in school, pursuant to section 10-417
15c of the general statutes, shall be at least ten thousand five hundred 418
dollars for each such child, or paid at an equivalent rate and amount per 419
classroom for eighteen children. For each eligible child who is under the 420
age of three and enrolled in an infant or toddler classroom and not in a 421
preschool classroom, the per-child cost paid by the office shall be at least 422
thirteen thousand five hundred dollars for each such child, or paid at an 423
equivalent rate and amount per classroom of eight children. The office 424
shall use data-driven, outcomes-based contract provisions to facilitate 425
and incentivize full enrollment. 426
Sec. 15. Subsection (b) of section 8-210 of the 2024 supplement to the 427
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 428
thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 429 Governor's Bill No. 5051
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(b) The state, acting by and in the discretion of the Commissioner of 430
Early Childhood, may enter into a contract with a municipality, a group 431
child care home or family child care home, as described in section 19a-432
77, a human resource development agency or a nonprofit corporation 433
for state financial assistance in developing and operating child care 434
centers, group child care homes and family child care homes for 435
children disadvantaged by reasons of economic, social or environmental 436
conditions, provided no such financial assistance shall be available for 437
the operating costs of any such child care center, group child care home 438
or family child care home unless it has been licensed by the 439
Commissioner of Early Childhood pursuant to section 19a-80. Such 440
financial assistance shall be available for a program of a municipality, of 441
a group child care home or family child care home, of a human resource 442
development agency or of a nonprofit corporation which may provide 443
for personnel, equipment, supplies, activities, program materials and 444
renovation and remodeling of the physical facilities of such child care 445
centers, group child care homes or family child care homes. Such 446
contract shall provide for state financial assistance, within available 447
appropriations, in the form of a state grant-in-aid (1) for a portion of the 448
cost of such program, as determined by the Commissioner of Early 449
Childhood, if not federally assisted, (2) equal to one-half of the amount 450
by which the net cost of such program, as approved by the 451
Commissioner of Early Childhood, exceeds the federal grant-in-aid 452
thereof, or (3) (A) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, in an amount 453
not less than [(A)] (i) the per child cost as described in subdivision (1) of 454
subsection (b) of section 10-16q, as amended by this act, for each child 455
in such program that is three or four years of age and each child that is 456
five years of age who is not eligible to enroll in school, pursuant to 457
section 10-15c, while maintaining services to children under three years 458
of age under this section, and [(B)] (ii) thirteen thousand five hundred 459
dollars for each child three years of age or under who is in infant or 460
toddler care and not in a preschool program, and (B) for the fiscal year 461
ending June 30, 2025, in accordance with the provisions of section 14 of 462
this act. Any such contract entered into on or after July 1, 2022, shall 463
include a provision that at least sixty per cent of the children enrolled in 464 Governor's Bill No. 5051
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such child care center, group child care home or family child care home 465
are members of families who are at or below seventy-five per cent of the 466
state median income. The Commissioner of Early Childhood may 467
authorize child care centers, group child care homes and family child 468
care homes receiving financial assistance under this subsection to apply 469
a program surplus to the next program year. The Commissioner of Early 470
Childhood shall consult with directors of child care centers in 471
establishing fees for the operation of such centers. For the fiscal year 472
ending June 30, 2023, the Commissioner of Early Childhood shall, 473
within available appropriations, enter into contracts under this section 474
for the purpose of expanding the number of spaces available to children 475
three years of age or under who are in infant or toddler care and not in 476
a preschool program. 477
Sec. 16. Subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section 10-16q of the 2024 478
supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is 479
substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 480
(b) (1) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, the per child cost of 481
the Office of Early Childhood school readiness program offered by a 482
school readiness provider shall not exceed eight thousand nine hundred 483
twenty-seven dollars. For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2021, to June 484
30, 2024, inclusive, the per child cost of the Office of Early Childhood 485
school readiness program offered by a school readiness provider shall 486
not exceed nine thousand twenty-seven dollars. For the fiscal year 487
ending June 30, 2025, the per child cost of the Office of Early Childhood 488
full-time school readiness program offered by a school readiness 489
provider shall [not exceed ten thousand five hundred dollars] be in 490
accordance with the provisions of section 14 of this act. 491
Sec. 17. Subsection (b) of section 10-16n of the general statutes is 492
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 493
2024): 494
(b) The Office of Early Childhood shall annually allocate to each town 495
in which the number of children under the temporary family assistance 496 Governor's Bill No. 5051
LCO No. 585 17 of 19
program, as defined in subdivision (17) of section 10-262f, equals or 497
exceeds nine hundred children, (1) determined for the fiscal [year] years 498
ending June 30, 1996, to June 30, 2024, inclusive, an amount equal to one 499
hundred fifty thousand dollars plus eight and one-half dollars for each 500
child under the temporary family assistance program, provided such 501
amount may be reduced proportionately so that the total amount 502
awarded pursuant to this subsection does not exceed two million seven 503
hundred thousand dollars, and (2) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 504
2025, an amount determined in accordance with the provisions of 505
section 14 of this act. The office shall award grants to the local and 506
regional boards of education for such towns and nonprofit agencies 507
located in such towns which meet the criteria established pursuant to 508
subsection (a) of this section to maintain the programs established or 509
expanded with funds provided pursuant to this subsection in the fiscal 510
years ending June 30, 1996, and June 30, 1997. Any funds remaining in 511
the allocation to such a town after grants are so awarded shall be used 512
to increase allocations to other such towns. Any funds remaining after 513
grants are so awarded to boards of education and nonprofit agencies in 514
all such towns shall be available to local and regional boards of 515
education and nonprofit agencies in other towns in the state for grants 516
for such purposes. 517
Sec. 18. Subsection (l) of section 19a-87b of the 2024 supplement to the 518
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 519
thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 520
(l) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2022, to June 30, [2026] 2028, 521
inclusive, the Commissioner of Early Childhood may issue a license to 522
maintain a family child care home in New Britain, New Haven, 523
Bridgeport, Stamford, Hartford, Danbury, [or] Waterbury or a town in 524
New London County in accordance with the provisions of this chapter 525
to a person or group of persons who have partnered with an association, 526
organization, corporation, institution or agency, public or private, to 527
provide child care services in a space provided by such association, 528
organization, corporation, institution or agency, provided such space 529
has been approved by the commissioner and is not in a private family 530 Governor's Bill No. 5051
LCO No. 585 18 of 19
home. The commissioner shall not approve more than one facility in 531
each such city to be used for licenses issued under this subsection. An 532
application for a license under this subsection shall include a copy of the 533
current fire marshal certificate of compliance with the Fire Safety Code, 534
and written verification of compliance with the State Building Code, 535
local zoning and building requirements and local health ordinances. The 536
commissioner may require an applicant for a license under this 537
subsection to comply with additional conditions relating to the health 538
and safety of the children who will be served in such facility. The 539
commissioner may waive any requirement that does not apply to such 540
facility. Any license issued under this subsection shall expire on June 30, 541
2026, except that the commissioner may suspend or revoke any such 542
license at any time in accordance with the provisions of section 19a-87e. 543
Sec. 19. Sections 8-210, 10-16n to 10-16r, inclusive, 10-16t, 10-16u, 10-544
16aa, 10-520b, 17b-749a and 17b-749d of the general statutes are 545
repealed. (Effective July 1, 2025)546
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 2 July 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 3 July 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 4 July 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 5 July 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 6 July 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 7 July 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 8 July 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 9 July 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 10 July 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 11 July 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 12 July 1, 2024 New section
Sec. 13 July 1, 2024 17b-749(b)
Sec. 14 July 1, 2024 New section
Sec. 15 July 1, 2024 8-210(b)
Sec. 16 July 1, 2024 10-16q(b)(1)
Sec. 17 July 1, 2024 10-16n(b)
Sec. 18 July 1, 2024 19a-87b(l) Governor's Bill No. 5051
LCO No. 585 19 of 19
Sec. 19 July 1, 2025 Repealer section
Statement of Purpose:
To implement the Governor's budget recommendations.
[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.]