2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 10 - Education and Culture
Chapter 164 - Educational Opportunities
Section 10-16bb - Coordinated system of early care and education and child development.

(a) On and after July 1, 2013, there shall be a coordinated system of early care and education and child development. The coordinated system of early care and education and child development shall consist of comprehensive and aligned policies, responsibilities, practices and services for young children and their families, including prenatal care and care for children from birth to eight years of age, inclusive, to ensure optimal health, safety and learning for each child, and that are in accordance with the plan developed by the planning director pursuant to section 10-16cc.

(b) The coordinated system of early care and education and child development shall (1) create a unified set of reporting requirements for the programs described in subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section 10-16cc, for the purpose of collecting the data elements necessary to perform quality assessments and longitudinal analysis; (2) compare and analyze the data collected pursuant to reporting requirements created under subdivision (1) of this subsection with the data collected in the state-wide public school information system, pursuant to section 10-10a, for population-level analysis of children and families; (3) develop and update appropriate early learning standards and assessment tools for children from birth to five years of age, inclusive, that are age and developmentally appropriate and that are aligned with existing learning standards as of July 1, 2013, and assessment tools for students in grades kindergarten to twelve, inclusive; (4) continually monitor and evaluate all early childhood education and child care programs and services, focusing on program outcomes in satisfying the health, safety, developmental and educational needs of all children; (5) develop indicators that assess strategies designed to strengthen the family through parental involvement in a child’s development and education, including children with special needs; (6) increase the availability of early childhood education and child care programs and services and encourage the providers of such programs and services to work together to create multiple options that allow families to participate in programs that serve the particular needs of each family; (7) provide information and technical assistance to persons seeking early childhood education and child care programs and services; (8) assist state agencies and municipalities in obtaining available federal funding for early childhood education and child care programs and services; (9) provide technical assistance and consultation to licensed providers of early childhood education and child care programs and services and assist any potential provider of such programs and services in obtaining the necessary licensure and certification; (10) incorporate the quality rating and improvement system developed by the Department of Education that covers home-based, center-based and school-based early child care and learning; (11) maintain a system of accreditation facilitation to assist early childhood education and child care programs and services in achieving national standards and program improvement; (12) create partnerships between state agencies and philanthropic organizations to assist in the implementation of the coordinated system of early care and education and child development; (13) align the system’s policy and program goals with those of the Early Childhood Education Cabinet, pursuant to section 10-16z, and the Head Start advisory committee, pursuant to section 10-16n; (14) ensure a coordinated and comprehensive state-wide system of professional development for providers of early childhood education and child care programs and services; (15) develop family-centered services that assist families in their communities; (16) provide families with opportunities for choice in services including quality child care; (17) integrate early childhood education and special education services; (18) emphasize targeted research-based interventions; (19) organize services into a coherent system; (20) coordinate a comprehensive and accessible delivery system for early childhood education and child care services; (21) focus on performance measures to ensure that services are accountable, effective and accessible to the consumer; (22) promote universal access to early childhood care and education; (23) ensure nonduplication of monitoring and evaluation; (24) encourage, promote and coordinate funding for the establishment and administration of local and regional early childhood councils that implement local and regional birth-to-eight systems; and (25) perform any other activities that will assist in the provision of early childhood education and child care programs and services.

(c) The coordinated system of early care and education and child development shall collaborate with local and regional early childhood councils to implement the coordinated system of early care and education and child development at the local level. Such early childhood councils shall: (1) Develop and implement a comprehensive plan for an early childhood system for the community served by such early childhood council, (2) develop policy and program planning, (3) encourage community participation by emphasizing substantial parental involvement, (4) collect, analyze and evaluate data with a focus on program and service outcomes, (5) allocate resources, and (6) perform any other functions that will assist in the provision of early childhood programs and services. Such early childhood councils may enter into memoranda of agreement with the local or regional school readiness council, described in section 10-16r, of the town or region served by such early childhood council to perform the duties and functions of a school readiness council, in accordance with the provisions of said section 10-16r, or if no such local or regional school readiness council exists for the town or region of such early childhood council, perform the duties and functions of a school readiness council, in accordance with the provisions of section 10-16r.

(d) The coordinated system of early care and education and child development may enter into memoranda of agreement with and accept donations from nonprofit and philanthropic organizations to accomplish the purposes of this section.

(P.A. 11-181, S. 2; P.A. 12-116, S. 3.)

History: P.A. 11-181 effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-116 amended Subsec. (b)(10) by replacing “create, implement and maintain a” with “incorporate the” and adding “developed by the Department of Education”, effective July 1, 2012.