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Connecticut is Ready…

We have access to current child development research.  We are aware that children need quality early care experiences in order to be ready for school.  A high quality care and education experience impacts on children’s early thinking ability and language development, children’s self-concepts and ability to navigate in a social world, on children’s physical health, and on their value.  Recent brain research asserts that we must begin to pay attention to children’s development in the first three critical years of life, stressing the importance of quality care and education environments even before preschool. (Governor’s First 1000 days Symposium)

Connecticut is Set…

In 2005 the Governor established the Early Care and Education Cabinet whose membership is representative of the Commissioners or Executive Directors of State Agencies, the Head Start Association and legislators.  The Cabinet has been charged with the campaign of ensuring that Connecticut’s Children are “Ready by Five and Fine by Nine.” This charge complements the state’s plan to reduce child poverty by 50% within ten years, by 2014.  The Child Poverty Prevention Council oversees that initiative.  Connecticut has initiated the processes for developing a Quality Rating and Improvement System for early care settings.  These entities in collaboration with a number of collaborators are attempting to develop and maintain a cohesive and effective system of early care and education in the state. (Cabinet and Poverty Prevention website)

In 1997, Connecticut made a strong commitment to support early school success with its School Readiness Initiative.  Study upon study has demonstrated that this has been a wise investment towards closing the State’s education gap.

Now it is time to GROW!

Quality Early Care and Early Education is an investment in the workforce of the future.  The research is clear: the quality of a child’s early care and education experiences has implications for state education systems, welfare reform, workforce and economic development and competitiveness, and crime prevention.  In our economy, human creativity and skill are increasingly more important.  Investing in early care and education is an investment in human capital.  The better the early care and education experience, the lower the social costs that accrue later and the greater the resulting economic productivity.  Payoffs are also immediate because parents make better workers when the care of their children is in trusted hands that nurture mind, body and soul.