Nationwide, people spend a sizable part of their paychecks on child care, according to Pew Research. That cost varies based on the kind of service and age of children.
Connecticut early childhood advocates say more needs to be done this legislative session to help the state’s child care sector grow, and be more sustainable.
In Connecticut, the Care 4 Kids program helps low-to-moderate income families pay for care. To include more people, the state lowered those family fees Jan. 1. Last session the legislature also approved widening the program's eligibility to include more Connecticut families.
A major part of the state’s child care challenge is there aren't enough providers to meet demand.
“Part of the reason is because early childhood education educators and providers are woefully underpaid,” said Emily Byrne, executive director for the nonprofit group Connecticut Voices for Children.
Insufficient wages are not just an issue in Connecticut. Nationwide, it’s feeding into a child care crisis, present even before the pandemic.
Byrne said there’s an even bigger push this legislative session to secure more money for early care providers – to at least compete with that of K-12 educators.
Connecticut Voices for Children has also recommended changes to the state’s fiscal controls, which limit spending on core state services. Gov. Ned Lamont has said he wants to keep those “fiscal guardrails” in place.
The state’s finances face even more pressure this year – with uncertainty about federal aid with the Trump administration making deep cuts, and ARPA pandemic relief allocated, according to the Connecticut Mirror.
Travis Woodward, president of CSEA SEIU Local 2001, which represents Care 4 Kids providers, said the state needs “bold reform” to the fiscal roadblocks.
“Without affordable, accessible, and high-quality care, families are shut out of the workforce, and children are deprived of crucial early education and development. At the same time, providers – who are essential to the system – remain severely undervalued,” Woodward said.
Eva Bermúdez Zimmerman, director of Child Care for Connecticut, said the industry needs to be “fully and permanently” funded.
“Parents across our state can’t afford the high cost of child care. Businesses can’t hire and retain a strong workforce because of the lack of care. Child care providers are barely scraping by,” Bermúdez Zimmerman said. “And our economy is suffering as a result.”
Lamont will share his budget proposal to lawmakers on Feb. 5.
