Monique Ford has taught 2- and 3-year-olds at the Friends Center for Children in New Haven for many years.
At an early morning rally in New Haven, her message was clear and shared by many: child care workers need better pay.
“They need to be able to support their own families and meet their own needs,” Ford said. “I feel like we are getting closer to that goal, little by little.”
On Wednesday, child care workers, advocates, families, and children gathered across Connecticut for a “Day Without Child Care.” The event aimed to raise awareness about the ongoing child care crisis in the state.
One of the biggest challenges is low pay for early childhood educators, which has led to a shortage of workers. At the same time, the cost of child care is very high for many parents.
According to research by Pew, many families across the country spend a large portion of their income on child care. The younger the child, the higher the cost tends to be.
Alyson Kagel, a local public school teacher and mother of two young children, appreciates the care provided by the Friends Center for Children. As a single parent, this support is essential.
“Without the financial help from Friends Center, there is no way I could do my job,” Kagel said.
A 2024 report from Connecticut United Way found that 40% of households in the state still struggle to afford child care. At the same time, the cost of living—including housing, groceries, and health care—is rising. Federal plans to reduce funding for safety net programs like Medicaid and SNAP, led by House Republicans, may make things harder for many families.
Sean Scanlon, Connecticut’s state comptroller, told the rally crowd, “We are at a point where we can’t keep doing business as usual.”
Progress and Challenges at the State Level
Some progress has been made to improve child care in Connecticut. A recent United Way report showed a 6% increase in child care programs operating at full capacity.
This growth is partly due to changes such as the earlier kindergarten age cutoff, updated regulations, new funding for infant and toddler care, and increased subsidies from the Care 4 Kids program to help families with costs.
Still, advocates and many lawmakers agree that more support is needed to strengthen the child care system.
With only weeks left in the 2025 legislative session, Connecticut officials are finalizing the state budget. House Speaker Matt Ritter (D-Hartford) told reporters that lawmakers are working on combining three child care bills introduced this year.
All three bills are priorities for the Democratic Party:
- Governor Ned Lamont’s plan to create a “universal preschool endowment.” If approved, this would use $300 million in surplus funds to take a “systemic approach” to reform child care, according to Early Childhood Commissioner Beth Bye. Ten percent of the funds would be used in the first year for planning, with major changes expected by 2028.
- A House bill that would speed up support for families by allocating $100 million to the Early Childhood Care and Education Fund in the current fiscal year and again starting July 1, 2026.
- A Senate proposal with a wider scope, including a Universal Preschool Trust, funded by leftover money at the end of each fiscal year.
The legislative session is scheduled to end on Wednesday, June 4.
