Local leaders and nonprofits want the state to focus on teens and young adults who have become disengaged from school and career opportunities.
Lawmakers return to the Capitol in just under a month, and the United Way and local leaders are pushing for an investment in teens and young adults.
The two organizations are pushing a 22-point that calls for $407 million in increased funding and a major change to how the state funds education.
“They are also the most fiscally responsible thing that the state of Connecticut could do would be to start with those aligned actions,” Connecticut Conference of Municipalities Executive Director Joe DeLong said.
CCM and United Way of Connecticut say the plan is a way to help teens and young adults disengaged from school or work.
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The Dalio Foundation issued a report last October estimating 119,000 people between the ages of 14 and 26 fit this group, called disconnected youth.
“Believe in the young people, trust them, what they’re saying,” said Erica Soares, a college student who grew up in Waterbury.
She said she was struggling in school after dealing with homelessness, sexual assault and other difficulties.
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Soares said she eventually found help through a program in Waterbury but ran into hurdles along the way. She said many teenagers give up trying.
“You're getting hung up on or you’re following up and they’re telling you go here, go there and everywhere else,” Soares said. “It's like, well why, what’s the point if I can just turn to do the other things and get what I need faster.”
CCM and United Way are pushing for $407 million for a plan that includes 21 related proposals, starting with tracking who needs additional help.
The money would also pay for mental and behavioral health programs, job training, housing support and reintegration programs for inmates released from prison.
The plan also calls on lawmakers to overhaul the education cost sharing formula and increase funding to send more money to school districts with higher numbers of disconnected youth.
Lawmakers said they’re committed to helping disconnected youth, but they’re worried the state won't have the funding.
“I think there needs to be a conversation about reprioritizing our initiatives and figure out what is going to work best,” Rep. Vincent Candelora (R-Minority Leader) said.
Candelora said the legislature will need to review programs and see which ones aren’t getting results. Lawmakers could then repurpose the money.
Rep. Kate Farrar (D-West Hartford) agreed, saying lawmakers should prioritize programs that have positive feedback from teenagers. One example was summer jobs programs.
“We know from youth directly what they see is working so I think we have to at what can we repurpose,” Farrar said.
United Way of Connecticut President and CEO Lisa Tepper Bates said increased funding could help Connecticut financially though.
She said helping more people find productive jobs can produce more income tax revenue while reducing the need for certain costs, such as prisons and housing, in the future.
Gov. Ned Lamont (D-Connecticut) said the state should first look at the success of recent investments before spending more money.
“We've got a lot of other programs in terms of youth and internships and apprenticeship programs and after school programs,” he said.
