Michelle L. Cook

Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed spending time with loved ones, family, and friends who are family as 2023 ended and 2024 began.

As we ring in the new year, there are some laws that become effective on January 1 that were passed during the 2023 legislative session addressing key issue areas including early voting, health and mental health, and online privacy and data protection.

Connecticut is offering a wonderful new program that will make applying for higher education much easier - and less expensive - for graduating high school students.

Happy Holidays! I have a lot of information and good news to share with you in this update. Friendly Hands Food Bank is receiving $2 million in state bond funds to purchase a new building, we have a new Eagle Scout in Torrington, college admission options for Connecticut high school seniors, and new laws on the books as of January 1, 2024.

Funds will help purchase a new building to allow the food bank to expand its services.

Sunday is the Torrington Christmas Parade and the Christmas Village opens for its 76th year following the parade.

The Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance, a statewide organization committed to improving outcomes in the areas of learning, health, safety, and economic security, for children ages birth to eight, has released the results of a recently conducted survey of 200 childcare providers across Connecticut. 

We have a chronic problem - funding and staffing issues. 

Read more about it in this update.

The O­ffice of Early Childhood’s (OEC) Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Care is developing a 5-year plan for an accessible, high-quality state childcare system. This plan will support families, providers, and Connecticut’s economy to make sure every child has the best educational foundation to grow, learn, and succeed.