TAKE ACTION
Early Childhood Education
UWCWC’s Cora’s Kids Seedlings to Sprouts Program enhances the quality of early childhood education by increasing equitable access to fresh, local produce and integrating nutrition-focused learning for low- to moderate-income families. Seedlings to Sprouts empowers providers to maximize federal funding, strengthens small businesses and improves meal quality. This innovative initiative has been made possible with support from the CT Grown for CT Kids Grant Program (CTG4CTK) at the CT Department of Agriculture.
Take 5 minutes to show your support for Seedlings to Sprouts and other CTG4CTK programs by contacting your legislator today!
HB 7013 funds CTG4CTK. The bill was unanimously approved by the Education Committee and is moving forward to the Appropriations Committee to secure funding. See our testimony here along with our annual advocacy agenda.
SNAP and Medicaid
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is one of the most effective anti-hunger and anti-poverty federal programs. There are proposals to shift some of the cost of the SNAP benefit to states. Currently, SNAP benefits are paid in full by the federal government and administrative costs are shared equally between states and the federal government. In Connecticut, this could lead to lower SNAP benefits for participating residents and/or the removal of participants due to new eligibility constraints. As Congress debates the path forward on budget matters, now is the time to raise our voices and tell our U.S. Representatives and Senators the importance of SNAP in our community.
ACTION: Send an e-letter mobilization to your U.S. Representative to share how SNAP and Medicaid help families in your community and encourage them to preserve and strengthen these programs.
UPCOMING EVENTS
CT Early Childhood Alliance - Register today!
Spring Advocacy Academy Session: How to Prepare for a Meeting with Your Legislator
Thursday, April 3rd 6:00 - 7:00 pm
Pre-Advocacy Day Virtual Rally
Monday, April 7th 7:00 - 8:00 pm
Early Childhood Advocacy Day
Wednesday, April 9th
-
8:30 - 10:00 am Legislative Breakfast (LOB Dining Room)
-
10:30 am Press Conference (LOB Rm. 1B)
-
11:00 am – 5:00 pm Meet with Legislators
UPDATES FROM HARTFORD
All hearings can be viewed on CT-N or each Committee’s YouTube channel. Full CT CGA calendar is available online here.
As subject matter public hearings come to a close, the Appropriations Committee and Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee will start to adjust the budget and develop a revenue package. Throughout April, advocates will be working diligently with key legislators to advance their priorities, with opportunities to engage in public hearings, 1-1 meetings and events in-district or at the Capitol. Watch out for more details coming soon!
Wednesday, April 2nd
-
Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee Public Hearing, 11 am, LOB Rm. 2E: Agenda | YouTube | Submit Written Testimony
Thursday, April 3rd
- Appropriations Committee Public Hearing, 10 am, LOB Rm. 2C: Agenda (including HB 7254, HB 7263, SB 1547) | YouTube | Submit Written Testimony | Register to Testify by 3 pm Wednesday
RESOURCES
Early Childhood Education
To learn more about the state’s ECE proposals and the dilemma between infant/toddler and pre-K, read CT Mirror’s “Will Lamont’s universal pre-K plan prevail?”
Opportunity Youth
The P20 WIN 2023 At-Risk and Disconnected Youth report highlighted the reach of our disconnected youth crisis, with at least 10% of youth at-risk in every town across the state – It was foundational to the momentum that has grown in the Opportunity Youth movement. Read P20WIN’s reports and dig deeper into the data that helps inform Opportunity Youth strategies.
P20 WIN (The Preschool through 20 Workforce Information Network) is Connecticut’s state longitudinal data system and is the mechanism by which data from multiple agencies are matched to address critical policy questions.
Healthcare and Public Health
The Trump administration canceled $12 billion in public health funding, cutting Connecticut’s support by $150 million. These grants funded infectious disease tracking, mental health services, substance use treatment, newborn screenings, immunizations, and virus testing. Without restoration, the state faces job losses and reduced access to critical services. To learn more about local impacts, read this CT Mirror article and Governor Lamont’s statement.
Have questions? Visit www.unitedwaycwc.org/advocate or contact Tida Infahsaeng at tida.infahsaeng@unitedwaycwc.org.