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Judge temporarily blocks effort to deport Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia student protests; Power of rural organizing reflected in SD carbon pipeline law; Safety at risk as budget cuts hit Indiana Dunes National Park; Barriers to tracking bird flu mount amid federal changes.

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House Democrats won't back the GOP budget bill. Ontario reacts to Trump trade moves by enacting energy export tariffs, and a new report finds mass deportations don t help the labor market.

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Immigrant communities are getting advice from advocates as the reach of ICE expands, experts in rural America urge lawmakers to ramp up protections against elder abuse, and a multi-state arts projects seeks to close the urban-rural divide.

CT child advocates hope to blunt impacts of new education law

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Thursday, November 9, 2023   

Child advocates across Connecticut are imploring Gov. Ned Lamont to increase state funding for subsidized preschool and child care slots.

It would offset the impacts of a new law, which requires children to be five years old before Sept. 1 the year they start kindergarten. While advocates support the change, they are worried about the burden it could put on the state's already strained early education system.

Courtney Parkerson, director of The Connecticut Project, described how it will affect some families.

"There is a concern that families that were not anticipating they would have to pay for another year of preschool and child care will now have to pay for it," Parkerson explained. "In Connecticut, that averages about $13,000 per child."

Without state intervention, it is estimated around 9,000 kids will not be eligible to start kindergarten at the same time they did in the past. The state's Office of Early Childhood and the Connecticut Department of Education reported 6,300 children will have to find preschool spaces, while the other 2,700 will not have any formal education for another year.

As many parents are going to have to scramble to find child care, Parkerson noted the timing of the rollout is equally inopportune. Given the shortage of child care providers in the state, Parkerson feels people should have more time to prepare for the doing into effect.

"Timing is definitely a concern," Parkerson emphasized. "The Legislature didn't create a lot of time for this policy change. And so it will require the state Legislature to act early in the session to give families and school districts and early childhood educators the time they need to adjust to this change."

Another major concern is whether the state's early childhood education system can handle the increase in kids. A Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance report showed almost 72% of child care centers are short-staffed.

The state is taking action to address this crisis. Earlier this year, a law was passed clarifying and enforcing protections for licensed group and family child care homes.


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