January 16, 2014

GOV. MALLOY: AGREEMENT WILL INVEST IN OUR CHILDREN AND THOSE WHO CARE FOR THEM

(WATERBURY, CT) - Joined by home-based child care providers and union officials, Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced an agreement between the State of Connecticut and CSEA/SEIU LOCAL 2001 providing for professional development and the first general wage increases in 12 years for family child care providers under Connecticut Care 4 Kids program, the state's program to provide better opportunities for quality child care and subsidize child care costs for low income families. The agreement came after nine months of negotiations between the two parties.

"This is another sign of our commitment to raise the level of quality in child care settings, and increase opportunities for young children to be in safe and healthy learning environments that encourage learning," said Governor Malloy. "By increasing wages and providing professional development opportunities for Care 4 Kids home-based family child care providers, we are investing in our children and those who care for them."

"Promoting the healthy development of our children is one of the most important things that government can do," Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman said. "By increasing the professionalism and compensation for these providers we are strengthening a system that will help thousands of children grow up to be productive adults."

Through this contract providers will benefit from newly created professional development incentives that can be used for trainings, certifications and for the attainment of college degrees related specifically to early childhood education. Family child care providers will undergo a four-hour orientation program that will include specialized trainings and information on the quality enhancement programs offered by the Office of Early Childhood.

Funding will also be made available to provide for a safe, secure and nurturing environment in the family provider's home. Licensed-exempt families, friends and neighbors who seek licensure will be reimbursed for their licensing fee and will receive a one-time $500 bonus for maintaining their newly-licensed status.

The contract agreement includes general rate increases of 3 percent over the four-year duration of the contract for licensed family child care providers. In addition, rates for children under the age of 3 for licensed home-based providers will reach parity with licensed child care centers by 2016. This will result in an increase in wages of over $43 million for home-based family child care providers over the course of the contract. Unlicensed family child care providers will also see a rise in wages based on the newly adopted minimum wage.

"These family child care providers are often the first teachers a child has outside their home. They provide care for children at all hours of the day and night for parents earning low wages," said CSEA President Patrice Peterson. "This contract represents a shift in public policy that will help provide much needed resources for our state's low income children and the providers who care for them. This is a real investment that will be instrumental to closing the achievement gap between Connecticut's low-income students and their peers."

Approximately 5,000 providers who participate in Care 4 Kids are members of the bargaining unit and serve roughly 3,560 children.

"Encouraging license-exempt providers to seek licensure through incentives is a great way to help increase quality opportunities for low income families and make critical supports available for these providers," stated Dr. Myra Jones-Taylor, Executive Director of the Office of Early Childhood.

The agreement will go to union members to vote over the next few weeks. Once ratified by the union, the agreement will go to the legislature for approval. Once approved by the legislature, the agreement will be effective Jan. 1, 2014.

Currently, the Care 4 Kids program is operated by the state Department of Social Services.

###

For Immediate Release: January 16, 2014

Facebook: Office of Governor Dannel P. Malloy