The Connecticut House of Representatives passed a major early childhood education bill on Saturday. Lawmakers say the legislation will transform care and education for young children and support families across the state for generations.
The bill, Senate Bill 1 (S.B. 1), includes provisions to improve special education and create a major new endowment for child care. This endowment could receive up to $300 million each year from the state’s budget surplus. Over time, the fund aims to cover the full cost of infant and toddler care and pre-kindergarten (pre-K) for families earning under $100,000 annually. Families making more than that would pay no more than 7% of their yearly income.
The legislation also increases wages for child care workers and allows state funds to be used to improve or expand care facilities. Lawmakers expect $80 million in funding for these purposes through a separate bonding bill.
Governor Ned Lamont is expected to sign the bill. He praised the legislation on social media Monday, saying, “Working parents need childcare. It’s an essential part of keeping a job and growing an economy. I thank the legislature for approving my plan to enact the largest expansion of childcare access in state history. Let’s keep Connecticut known as the most family-friendly state in the nation!”
S.B. 1 was not part of Lamont’s original proposal, which focused only on funding for universal pre-K. The final version came after months of talks between the governor’s office, Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, and child care advocates. They worked to find a shared approach to help families deal with the rising costs of child care in a state where spaces are limited and providers face staff shortages.
To further help parents, the House also passed a separate measure, House Bill 5003, on Saturday. This bill would create an online portal to help families find child care and pre-K spots more easily. It would also increase the number of children allowed in child care homes from nine to 12, as long as staffing and space requirements are met. Additionally, it would start a pilot program to inform new parents at hospitals about local child care services.
Deputy Majority Leader Rep. Kate Farrar, D-West Hartford, said many families in her district struggle with the cost of living. Child care, she said, is a key part of that burden.
“So many of our businesses know how critical it is to have affordable and accessible child care,” Farrar said. “Families deserve access to this care because the greatest investment we can make is in our young children.”
However, not all lawmakers supported the bill. Several Republicans raised concerns about using surplus funds to finance the program, even while agreeing that early education is important.
Rep. Joe Polletta, R-Waterbury, warned that relying on surplus money could hurt the state in the long term. He recalled the financial crisis of 2017 and said Connecticut had made progress by following strict budget rules.
“Little by little over the last eight years, we have chipped away at those fiscal guardrails,” he said. “We are going to fix something that’s not broken, and I think future generations are going to pay for it. I hope I’m wrong.”
Rep. Lezlye Zupkus, R-Prospect, the ranking member of the Education Committee, questioned supporters of the bill for more than two hours. She agreed with the goal of helping children but ultimately voted against it.
“I hope that everything in here is going to make the difference that everyone says it’s going to,” Zupkus said. “And I hope our children are going to be better for it. I hope I’m proven wrong.”
Many Democrats in the House spoke in favor of the legislation.
Rep. Brandon Chafee, D-Middletown, who helped craft the bill, said too many policies offer only short-term solutions. He compared that to giving a hungry person an apple instead of planting a tree that could feed them for years.
“We’re planting a tree here to help future generations,” Chafee said. “It’s not going to solve the immediate need, but over time, as it grows, it will provide year after year.”
Farrar said the State Capitol was full of children on Saturday, as many lawmakers brought their families to celebrate the bill’s passage. Parents and advocates filled the halls and cheered when the bill passed.
“There was an incredible moment, being able to walk out and meet up with the many advocates and parents in the hallways as they cheered,” Farrar said. “This is the result of decades and decades of work.”
Rep. Mary Welander, D-Orange, said people have long treated child care as a background issue. But in truth, she said, child care providers are the foundation of the economy.
“We need to compensate them. We need to have safe and clean spaces for them to work. We need to make sure they can care for themselves and their families,” Welander said.
S.B. 1 also contains new supports for special education. These additions come after feedback from the legislature’s Select Committee on Special Education.
The bill includes a $10 million grant to improve special education programs in certain districts. This would help reduce the need for students to travel outside their school district to get needed services. It also requires schools to notify families when substitute teachers or other staff fill in for more than 10 school days — a disruption that can deeply affect students with special needs. Additionally, it creates an ombudsman to help families when they struggle to access services.
These changes build on other proposals in House Bill 5001, which also focuses on special education improvements.
With these two major bills passed, Connecticut lawmakers are aiming to create a stronger, more affordable, and more inclusive child care system for families across the state.
