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Local advocates and experts in early childcare education say funding and staffing shortfalls were only deepened during the pandemic. With federal relief funding set to expire at the end of the month, posing another short-term hurdle, or "cliff," what are the long-term solutions?

Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal is pushing Congress for $16 billion in federal funding through the Child Care Stabilization Act. "Childcare was in crisis even before the pandemic," said Senator Blumenthal on Monday. "But the pandemic has brought it to the brink of collapse." He also highlighted the Child Care for Every Community Act, and the Child Care for Working Families Act.

At the same press conference on Monday, Merrill Gay, Executive Director at Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance, called the upcoming funding cutoff a “predictable calamity."

This hour, we hear from Connecticut Office of Early Childhood Commissioner Beth Bye, and members of the recently-formed Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Care. A new draft of a five-year plan, expected to be finalized by December, outlined possible solutions, including a pay raise.

GUESTS:
Beth Bye: Commissioner, Connecticut Office of Early Childhood
Monette Ferguson: Executive Director, Alliance for Community Empowerment in Bridgeport
Karen Lott: ExecutiveDirector, Women’s League Child Development Center in Hartford
Allyx Schiavone: Executive Director, Friends Center for Children in New Haven
Jessica Sager: Executive Director, All Our Kin

Where We Live is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts,Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

Local advocates and experts in early childcare education say funding and staffing shortfalls were only deepened during the pandemic. With federal relief funding set to expire at the end of the month, posing another short-term hurdle, or "cliff," what are the long-term solutions?
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal is <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/news/2023-09-19/child-care-aid-is-about-to-expire-ct-advocates-call-on-congress-for-urgent-help">pushing Congress for $16 billion</a> in federal funding through the Child Care Stabilization Act. "Childcare was in crisis even before the pandemic," said Senator Blumenthal on Monday. "But the pandemic has brought it to the brink of collapse." He also highlighted the Child Care for Every Community Act, and the Child Care for Working Families Act.
At the same press conference on Monday, Merrill Gay, Executive Director at Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance, called the upcoming funding cutoff a “predictable calamity."
This hour, we hear from Connecticut Office of Early Childhood Commissioner Beth Bye, and members of the recently-formed <a href="https://www.ctoec.org/blue-ribbon-panel/">Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Care</a>. A new <a href="https://www.ctoec.org/forms-documents/draft-outline-of-blue-ribbon-plan.pdf/">draft of a five-year plan</a>, expected to be finalized by December, outlined possible solutions, including <a href="https://www.wshu.org/connecticut-news/2023-09-14/advisory-panel-recommends-a-pay-bump-for-connecticut-child-care-workers">a pay raise</a>.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Beth Bye: Commissioner, Connecticut Office of Early Childhood</li>
<li>Monette Ferguson: Executive Director, <a href="https://alliancect.org/">Alliance for Community Empowerment</a> in Bridgeport</li>
<li>Karen Lott: Executive Director, <a href="https://www.womensleaguecdc.org/">Women’s League Child Development Center</a> in Hartford</li>
<li>Allyx Schiavone: Executive Director, <a href="https://friendscenterforchildren.org/">Friends Center for Children</a> in New Haven</li>
<li>Jessica Sager: Executive Director, <a href="https://allourkin.org/">All Our Kin</a></li>
</ul>
Where We Live is available as a podcast on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/the-wheelhouse/id1123069986">Apple Podcasts,</a> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0rdTqFfVu8e6TKMa5lWXsI">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cub21ueWNvbnRlbnQuY29tL2QvcGxheWxpc3QvYWMwYmU5NjktZDdkZi00NjBjLWE2NmMtYTZmOTAwZTFlYmQxLzI1M2YwNjY4LTA0NjMtNGFiNC04ZWIzLWE5ZmIwMDRjOTdlNy8wOTUwNDBkZS1hZjMyLTQ1Y2UtOTkwZi1hOWZiMDA0Yzk3ZjUvcG9kY2FzdC5yc3M">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/dd73c297-450d-4ea5-bb0b-64131d617ee0/the-wheelhouse">Amazon Music</a>, <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/Government/The-Wheelhouse-p1207903/?topicId=264709829">TuneIn</a>, <a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-wheelhouse-connecticut-public-radio-mxksbjc_iJI/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

Produced by Connecticut Public, 'Where We Live' puts Connecticut in context. Host Catherine Shen brings us fascinating, informed, in-depth conversations and stories beyond news headlines.  We start local, but we take time to explore domestic and international issues and consider how they impact us personally and here at home.

Produced by Connecticut Public, '<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/where-we-live/about">Where We Live'</a> puts Connecticut in context. Host Catherine Shen brings us fascinating, informed, in-depth conversations and stories beyond news headlines.  We start local, but we take time to explore domestic and international issues and consider how they impact us personally and here at home.

Where We Live is a call-in talk show about who we are in Connecticut and our place in the world.

Where We Live

Produced by Connecticut Public, '<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/where-we-live/about">Where We Live'</a> puts Connecticut in context. Host Catherine Shen brings us fascinating, informed, in-depth conversations and stories beyond news headlines.  We start local, but we take time to explore domestic and international issues and consider how they impact us personally and here at home.