Governor Ned Lamont announced on June 1 that his administration is making an additional investment of approximately $320 million into Connecticut’s Early Childhood Education Endowment, following the signing of the fiscal year 2027 state budget bill last week.
The endowment, established by Governor Lamont in 2025 through Public Act 25-93, serves as a permanent funding source to strengthen Connecticut’s early childhood education system. With this year’s investment combined with last year’s initial $300 million contribution, officials say Connecticut is positioned as a national leader in sustainable solutions for children, families, and educators.
“Every child living in Connecticut deserves access to a good education—including during the earliest years of their lives—and we must make these opportunities available to every child of every background, no matter where they live or the socioeconomic status of their families,” Governor Lamont said. “Numerous studies have proven that an education beginning at an early age leads to greater academic success later in life and opens the door to more professional achievements and career success as adults. Additionally, having the ability to enroll children in these opportunities means that parents will have greater ability to join the workforce and earn an income that supports their family. I strongly believe that providing every child with access to early childhood education opportunities will make Connecticut an even stronger, safer, and resilient state.”
The endowment aims to address challenges such as high costs of care, limited access to available child care spaces, workforce recruitment and retention issues, and the need for stable funding across the state. Over time, its resources are expected to create thousands of additional child care spaces statewide while supporting affordability for families and competitive compensation for educators.
In line with Public Act 25-93 provisions for fiscal year 2027, up to 12% of annual endowment expenditures may be used toward workforce initiatives; quality improvement efforts; provider business operations; facilities construction or renovation; and other strategies intended to strengthen high-quality early childhood program delivery across Connecticut. The fiscal year 2027 budget also includes a $10 million health insurance subsidy aimed at supporting recruitment and retention within the early childhood workforce.
Connecticut Early Childhood Commissioner Elena Trueworthy said, “The Early Childhood Education Endowment represents Connecticut’s commitment to building an early childhood system that works for families, educators, providers, and children. Families need care they can afford. Educators deserve compensation that reflects the importance of their work. Providers need sustainable funding to deliver high-quality programs. This endowment allows Connecticut to advance all these goals through a thoughtful, long-term strategy that benefits Connecticut’s economy.” Beginning July 2027, eligible families enrolled through Early Start CT who earn up to $100,000 annually will have access at no cost; contributions above this threshold will be capped at no more than seven percent of household income.
