Rachel Khanna

Welcome back to school to all children and families. I wish you all the very best for the school year ahead!
 
While on the one hand, we celebrate this time of year as a time of opportunities and new beginnings, making new friends, and learning new things, we also know that this can be a difficult time for many.
 
The Covid pandemic had many adverse effects on students. Many children suffer from learning loss, and mental health issues have been ubiquitous. A recent article noted that about one-third of high school students suffer from sadness, hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts. In addition, according to a recent report, 42% of children in Connecticut live in a household below the ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed) threshold. And, in a recent visit to Filling in the Blanks, I learned that roughly 32,000 children in Connecticut are food insecure.
 
None of this is acceptable.
 
The Connecticut legislature has taken steps to help children. Most recently, the Department of Social Services delivered a one-time, back-to-school benefit to 7,500 children across the state using Federal Pandemic Emergency Assistance funds. We also used federal ARPA funds to expand the free school meal program for the 2023-2024 academic year. Last Monday, Governor Lamont distributed an additional $25.1 million in special food assistance benefits to the families of 209,820 children. And, in the last session, we passed a new law to improve access to mental, physical, and emotional health services for children and to provide a continuum of care with these services. 
 
More must be done for children to provide them with the support and resources they need to thrive and grow into the productive members of society we know they can be. This will be one of my priorities as we return to the legislature this fall.

Governor Ned Lamont recently announced that the Connecticut Department of Social Services, in collaboration with the Connecticut State Department of Education, would distribute an additional $25.1 million in special food assistance benefits to the families of 209,820 children on Monday, September 4.
 
Families of children who are enrolled in the free or reduced-price meals program at their schools and who receive the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Family Assistance (TFA), or Medicaid (HUSKY A) assistance will receive the additional benefits. These one-time supplemental benefits are in the amount of $120 per child. 
 
Additionally, a third round of special food assistance benefits will be distributed later in September to schoolchildren in eligible households who are not enrolled in DSS programs. These federally funded benefits will collectively support nearly 307,000 schoolchildren through the federal Summer Pandemic EBT: Children in School program, in addition to the over 57,300 children who received the first distribution in mid-August.

Paraeducators provide critical and direct support to teachers and students, which makes them an integral part of the school ecosystem. That is why I am happy to share that the Paraeducator Healthcare Subsidy Program will provide $5 million in financial assistance and increase access to quality health care.

This program was created during the 2023 Legislative Session and signed into law as part of the bipartisan biennium budget. It will help paraeducators enrolled in high-deductible health plans with a health savings account and employed by a local or regional school district with a one-time stipend to reduce out-of-pocket costs. Payments are expected to go out in September to more than 4,000 paraeducators.

It was a pleasure to announce the launch of the Baby Bonds Program at the Stamford Boys & Girls Club with Treasurer Russell, Governor Lamont, Mayor Simmons, fellow members of the CT State Legislators, and Stamford community leaders last week.
 
I’m so excited about the Baby Bonds program! We invest hundreds of millions in childcare programs and in our public schools. Now, with Baby Bonds, we've recognized the need to invest in the youngest residents of our state, especially those who are lower income. This program is another critical part of our education continuum.
 
Through the Baby Bonds program, we're investing in the future of our state by allowing young people to pursue further education, housing, and other opportunities. The program will encourage people to stay in the state, it will ensure that our future workforce is educated and prepared to meet the jobs of the future, and it will keep our economy growing. 
 
I thank Governor Lamont and Treasurer Russell for making this happen!

I had a great visit to Filling in the Blanks last week. Filling in the Blanks is a Norwalk-based nonprofit that fights childhood hunger by providing children in need with meals on the weekend. Founded in 2013, Filling in the Blanks has removed the obstacle of food insecurity for local children by providing each student registered in the Weekend Meal Program with a bag of food containing four meals and four snacks to take home every Friday.
 
Families in need can register their students aged 3-18 in the Filling in the Blanks Weekend Meal Program here. Once registered, Filling in the Blanks will coordinate with the school liaison to ensure the student is registered at the school and once confirmed, will begin including a weekend meal bag for the student in the school's delivery.
 
Over the past several years, Filling in the Blanks has experienced significant growth. During the 2022-23 school year, Filling in the Blanks supported more than 5,600 children at over 150 locations throughout Connecticut and New York. For the 2023-24 school year, Filling in the Blanks is striving to serve as many children in need as possible. If you would like to get involved or learn more, please reach out to: info@fillingintheblanks.org.

I was honored to stand with Governor Lamont, firefighters, and fellow legislators to celebrate a new state law making it easier for firefighters who develop cancer to receive workers’ compensation benefits.

As I’ve noted before, in addition to the daily risks firefighters face in doing their jobs, they are putting their lives on the line by exposing themselves to cancer-causing PFAS chemicals, including in what is supposed to be their protective gear. Therefore, it is only right, given all firefighters give of themselves in order to protect us and keep us safe, that we look out for them and their families.

This year marks the 22nd anniversary of the September 11 attacks. We remember and honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost that day.

There will be two ceremonies in Greenwich on September 11 - one in the morning at Cos Cob Park and one in the evening at Glenville Volunteer Fire Department (more information can be found below). 

In Stamford, two ceremonies are planned on September 11 - one in the morning at Jackie Robinson Park and one in the evening at Woodside Firehouse. To learn more about Stamford's events, click HERE. All are welcome to attend.

The Connecticut Office of Early Childhood (OEC) is hosting a series of public sharing sessions to help inform the community of the work to date of the Blue Ribbon Panel. CT families, providers, employers, and community members are invited to share their thoughts on the latest version of the draft plan outline.

To register for any of the sharing sessions, click HERE. 

Discover how easy it is to set up and maintain a compost bin in your own backyard! Transform your yard trimmings and kitchen scraps into compost to return nutrients back to the soil and improve plant growth. Recycling organic material into "black gold" can cut our waste stream significantly and divert waste from incineration and landfills, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.

Master composter Britta Calkosz of Waste Free Greenwich and Tiana Santasiere of Greenwich Botanical Center will share the tips and tools of backyard composting from the ingredients and process to bin types and troubleshooting.

On September 20, at Innis Arden Cottage please consider joining in celebrating the Long Island Sound, a valued estuary, food source, and cultural legacy. Guests will enjoy a locally sourced raw bar provided by Atlantic Clam Farms, and a taste of green crab, an invasive yet tasty species. Wine will be provided by Cap, Cork, and Cellar.  A panel discussion exploring efforts in Connecticut and throughout New England working to sustain our coastal watershed will follow.
 
Panelists will share the ways consuming ‘overlooked’ and invasive species of fish and shellfish are essential to preserving a healthy ecosystem, and how Long Island Sound enhances cultural connection, and a sense of place. 
 
The Foodshed Forum acknowledges the Siwanoy, among the Munsee Lenape Indigenous Nation, as the first stewards of Long Island Sound and recognizes its place within its cultural legacy.

For tickets, click HERE or click the section on tickets below. 

Consider taking part in a Lyme Disease Vaccine Study through Stamford Health. The health provider is conducting a clinical research trial to learn if the Pfizer study vaccine is safe and effective in preventing Lyme disease in healthy people 18 years or older. 

If you're interested in pre-screening for this study, please email DepartmentOfResearch@stamhealth.org or call 475-333-2714.