2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 10 - Education and Culture
Chapter 164 - Educational Opportunities
Section 10-16cc - Planning director for the coordinated system of early care and education and child development. Plan. Reports.

(a) On or before July 15, 2011, the Governor shall appoint, in consultation with the Early Childhood Education Cabinet, established under section 10-16z, a planning director for the planning and development of the coordinated system of early care and education and child development described in section 10-16bb, provided such appointment is made within available appropriations or funded by donations from private sources or federal funds to cover the costs of carrying out the provisions of this section. The planning director shall be within the Office of Policy and Management.

(b) (1) The planning director shall develop a plan for the coordinated system of early care and education and child development. Such plan shall consolidate existing early childhood education and child care programs and services serving children from birth to eight years of age, inclusive, into a coordinated system that attempts to (A) reduce the academic achievement gap, (B) increase participation in early childhood education programs, (C) increase parent engagement, family literacy and parenting skills, (D) increase oral language development, (E) increase social competence, (F) decrease special education placements, and (G) support parents and guardians of young children to find employment and to remain employed and encourage such parents and guardians to attend work training programs. Consolidation may include, but not be limited to, school readiness programs, Head Start programs, the family resource center program, established pursuant to section 10-4o, child care facilities, licensing and services described in section 8-210, the birth-to-three program, established pursuant to section 17a-248, professional development activities relating to early childhood education and any other relevant early childhood programs and services.

(2) In developing such plan, the planning director shall (A) consider opportunities for consolidation between and within agencies to reduce redundancy and to improve the focus on positive outcomes for children and families; (B) seek areas of consolidation between and within agencies; (C) provide for the creation of memoranda of agreement between the coordinated system of early care and education and child development and nonprofit and philanthropic organizations; (D) identify opportunities to align services and meet the holistic needs of children and families; (E) implement an accountability framework to measure program and services outcomes; (F) identify common requirements for funding from various sources and identify waiver provisions related to such requirements that can be used to improve service delivery in the state; (G) identify barriers under state or federal law that inhibit effective consolidation of functions or utilization of interagency agreements; (H) consult with qualified local and regional planning groups; and (I) focus the memoranda of agreement to relevant program areas, such as, maternal and child health, literacy, family support, financial planning and early care and education.

(c) For purposes of the development of the plan for the coordinated system of early care and education and child development, the planning director may enter into memoranda of agreement with and accept donations from nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.

(d) The Departments of Education, Social Services, Public Health, Children and Families and Developmental Services and the Board of Regents for Higher Education shall assist the planning director in the planning and development of the plan for the coordinated system of early care and education and child development.

(e) (1) On and after October 1, 2011, until July 1, 2013, the planning director shall report quarterly to the Early Childhood Education Cabinet. Such report may include, but not be limited to, (A) recommendations regarding the consolidation of agencies to improve coordination within the coordinated system of early care and education and child development, (B) suggestions regarding how federal, state and local resources can be combined to maximize efficiencies in the system and outcomes for children and families, (C) suggestions to improve the manner in which state and local early childhood education initiatives are coordinated so as to provide holistic, affordable, high quality early education for young children, (D) recommendations for improvements to the coordinated system of early care and education and child development, and (E) assurances that the provisions of section 8-210 are being preserved in the planning and development of the coordinated system of early care and education and child development.

(2) On and after January 1, 2012, until July 1, 2013, the planning director shall semiannually report to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations, human services and education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a. Such report may include, but not be limited to, (A) recommendations regarding the consolidation of agencies to improve coordination within the coordinated system of early care and education and child development, (B) suggestions regarding how federal, state and local resources can be combined to maximize efficiencies in the system and outcomes for children and families, (C) suggestions to improve the manner in which state and local early childhood education initiatives are coordinated so as to provide holistic, high quality early education for young children, (D) recommendations for improvements to the coordinated system of early care and education and child development, and (E) assurances that the provisions of section 8-210 are being preserved in the planning and development of the coordinated system of early care and education and child development.

(3) On or before January 30, 2013, the planning director shall report to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations, human services and education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a. Such report shall include recommendations as to which department shall be the lead agency and where the staff of the coordinated system of early care and education and child development will be located.

(P.A. 11-48, S. 285; 11-181, S. 3.)

History: P.A. 11-181 effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 11-48, “Department of Higher Education” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Board of Regents for Higher Education” in Subsec. (d), effective July 1, 2011.