Looking back to move CT children forward

In 2006, Connecticut’s Ready by Five & Fine by Nine Early Childhood Framework established the goal that all of its children would be developmentally and educationally on target at key milestones from birth through the third grade. In 2007, the Early Childhood Investment Plan proposed $74 million in new annualized funding for state fiscal year 2009, and then the Great Recession of 2008 struck.

In the fall of 2023, the CT 359 Network undertook a look-back at Connecticut’s vision in 2006 and 2007, expecting to see advances in the well-being of the state’s youngest citizens. That is not, however, what we found. Despite commendable policy, program, and practice advancements, Connecticut is falling short.

Among younger children, as many as four in ten Medicaid-enrolled infants and toddlers may be missing annual growth and development screenings. Of those Medicaid-enrolled children who are screened, fewer than one in five is referred for services. Among all Connecticut children, just one in 20 was enrolled in early intervention services through the CT Birth-to-Three system in 2022.

Among school-aged children, more than 60 percent needed moderate to significant support at entry to kindergarten in 2022 , and only 50 percent achieved reading proficiency in the third grade. The percentage of students reading at the proficient level actually decreased from 56% to 49% from 2018 to 2023, likely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Across four high-need Connecticut communities (Hartford, Bridgeport, New Haven, and Waterbury), reading proficiency levels in the 2022-2023 school year ranged from 18% to 23%.

And, from 2006 to 2023 , Connecticut’s national standing declined from third best to ninth on measures of overall child well-being, behind Iowa, Utah, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Nebraska.

This sobering story calls for a renewed commitment to Connecticut’s younger children, a closer examination of the state’s strategies, and a collective effort to reverse this disturbing trend. That is why the CT 359 Network was launched in the early spring of 2023, bringing together a diverse group of individuals and organizations committed to Connecticut’s goal of all children on target and thriving at the ages of three, five, and nine.

To be fair, Connecticut has faced financial challenges over recent years, including the impact of COVID-19. Our legislative leaders enacted fiscal guardrails , and we now enjoy a reduction in pension debt, a robust economy, and healthy surpluses. Today, there is a healthy discussion about how to invest available money in the state’s future.

[RELATED: Fiscal Guardrails or a Straitjacket?]

Over these 17 years, we have also learned much more about rapid brain growth in the early years of life. We know the effects that racism, poverty, and trauma can have on children, and we have learned that it is better to promote early health and learning than try to fix later challenges.

Achieving Connecticut’s vision for young children does come at a cost, but it also brings real fiscal returns on investment. The work of the Blue Ribbon Panel has helped to define one important pathway forward, and we do need a fiscal down payment to save and strengthen child care in Connecticut. Another would be building a Connecticut Early Childhood Investment Portfolio to serve the entire early childhood ecosystem. The portfolio would present results-based opportunities for investing in the state’s present and its future — through its youngest children.

In April, the CT 359 Network will host a public, virtual Grand Rounds to share what we have learned from our 17-year look-back and what Connecticut can do now. Short- and medium-term policy actions include creating a network of existing data systems to improve child outcomes, exploring barriers to family-focused, comprehensive pediatric care, and increasing investment in local early childhood collaboratives.

This knowledge-sharing, partnership-oriented work can pave the way for a more cohesive, effective and equitable investment framework that ensures all Connecticut children can thrive from the very start. We should begin now in preparation for the next biennial budget and policy season.

Janice Gruendel is Co-Founder of the CT 359 Network.

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