Budget Highlights - Investments in Our Children and Families
May 20, 2022During last year's session, the Connecticut General Assembly passed a bipartisan budget that didn’t raise taxes and made historic payments toward our pension debt. Because of our smart reforms, strong returns, and Federal aid, this year’s budget adjustments included investments in our community, children’s mental health, and childcare. In addition to these investments, we were able to cut $600 million in taxes.
Over the next few weeks, I wanted to highlight specific aspects of the budget. This week, I want to discuss the investment in our children, particularly in regards to their mental health. Through the budget, the Town of Ellington will receive a reimbursement for the Windermere Elementary School Project. The funding was increased by 14.64%, which amounts to about $9 million. This funding will play a crucial role in the elementary school's renovation project. Child Tax Payment To help relieve parents, a child tax payment was included in our state budget. The child tax payment will provide parents with qualifying incomes a graduated personal income tax credit of up to $600 for up to three dependent children under the age of 16. Click here to learn more. Investments Made in Children's Mental Health Addressing the ongoing youth mental health crisis was a priority of the Connecticut General Assembly going into this legislative session. I was able to work alongside my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to craft and pass meaningful legislation to address this problem. HB 5001 makes significant investments into the mental health of our children. In addition to this bill, the budget also provides further support:
Investments in Our Schools Every student in our state should have access to an education filled with opportunity that sets them up for success. The best investment we can make in our future is giving our schools the tools and resources they need today to help our students succeed tomorrow – and our state budget doubles down on the investment. Our schools educate students of all backgrounds with different needs. We are fortunate to have incredibly talented educators in our state that have gone the extra mile, especially during the pandemic as they adapted to a rapidly changing educational landscape. The budget will:
Our schools are still rebounding from the pandemic, and this budget will ensure our students and educators have the supports they need to succeed. Formula Sample Drive
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