Childcare costs are too high, according to advocates who say Connecticut is in a crisis.
Childcare leaders met today with hopes of going to the federal government and getting its help to lower costs.
"The biggest impact is parents not being able to afford it, and perhaps us closing it down,” said Kiobnit Grullon, an early childcare educator.
She says her program is full with nine students, and she's recently added on another staff member.
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“I like to reassure the parent that their child is safe, that they're that I have people that might only mean that I want to care for their child, but I have to be able to afford it,” said Grullon.
The push and pull between needing childcare versus spending an affordable amount is what many families grapple with. Recent data shows parents are paying between $17,000 and $23,000 per year on childcare.
“We see the need for low cost free programs so that our students don't have a huge gap when they get to kindergarten that we're trying to constantly close,” said Darren Shwartz, deputy superintendent of Waterbury Public Schools.
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Shwartz says 95-percent of their preschool students are below the poverty line. He says there are varying subsidized programs to lower costs in the area.
“But even with a sliding scale, it can be difficult for a family to pay for,” said Shwartz.
Statewide, data from the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood shows more than 31,000 students from over 5,000 providers received childcare subsidies in 2023.
That's why Sen. Chris Murphy, Rep. Jahana Hayes, and other early childhood advocates met on Thursday. They wanted to hear from parents, providers, and leaders about the biggest gaps in Connecticut’s - and the nation's- system.
“How can we do a national investment? Connecticut's checkbook is not big enough,” said David Morgan, of TEAM Inc.
Recruiting and retaining educators is vital to maintaining access too. Morgan adds UConn-Waterbury is adding early childhood education programming.
Lawmakers say while they don't expect change to happen for the rest of this year, they say the goal is to bring this feedback to Washington, D.C. with the goal of investing in children in families in the future.
