Corey P. Paris

After years of advocacy, organizing, and sheer persistence from parents, providers, and champions of equity, transformative childcare legislation has passed - and it’s a game-changer.

Connecticut is now a national model for childcare reform.

This achievement eases the burden on working families by creating a centralized portal to access affordable, quality childcare. It makes it easier for more women to return to the workforce, especially when we know that over 40% of women not working full-time cite caregiving as a key barrier.

But beyond that, this legislation invests in the people who’ve kept this system standing for decades; providers, many of whom are Black and Brown women who have done this work with little pay and even less support.

This is a long-overdue acknowledgment of their value and labor.

I want to congratulate Commissioner Beth Bye and the Office of Early Childhood, Representative Kate Farrar, Senator Doug McCrory, Senator Ceci Maher, Representative Brandon Chaffee, Representative Trenee McGee, Senator Martin Looney, Speaker Matt Ritter, and Governor Ned Lamont for their leadership.

I’m especially grateful for the generations of advocates who made this moment possible.

Connecticut just became the blueprint for what’s possible across the nation, and I’m proud to stand alongside all of you in this victory.