2015 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 17b - Social Services
Chapter 319s - Financial Assistance
Section 17b-112l - Pilot program for two-generational school readiness and workforce development. Oversight. Report.

(a) There is established a two-generational school readiness and workforce development pilot program. The pilot program shall operate through June 30, 2017, and shall foster family economic self-sufficiency in low-income households by delivering academic and job readiness support services across two generations in the same household. The pilot program shall be located in New Haven, Greater Hartford, Norwalk, Meriden, Colchester and Bridgeport. The pilot sites shall work together as a learning community, informed by technical assistance in best practices.

(b) The two-generational school readiness and workforce development pilot program shall serve as a blueprint for a state-wide, two-generational school readiness and workforce development model and may include opportunities for state-wide learning, in addition to the pilot sites, in two generational system building and policy development. The pilot program shall be funded by state and available private moneys and shall include:

(1) Early learning programs, adult education, child care, housing, job training, transportation, financial literacy and other related support services offered at one location, wherever possible;

(2) Development of a long-term plan to adopt a two-generational model for the delivery of the services described in subdivision (1) of this subsection on a state-wide basis. Such plan shall include, but not be limited to, (A) the targeted use of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds, to the extent permissible under federal law, to support two-generational programming, and (B) state grant incentives for private entities that develop such two-generational programming;

(3) Partnerships between state and national philanthropic organizations, as available, to provide the pilot sites and interagency working group established pursuant to subsection (c) of this section with technical assistance in the phase-in and design of model two-generational programs and practices, an evaluation plan, state-wide replication and implementation of the program; and

(4) A workforce liaison to gauge the needs of employers and households in each community and help coordinate the two-generational program to meet the needs of such employers and households.

(c) The program shall be overseen by an interagency working group that shall include, but not be limited to, the Commissioners of Social Services, Early Childhood, Education, Housing, Transportation, Public Health and Correction, or each commissioner’s designee; the Labor Commissioner, or the Labor Commissioner’s designee; the Chief Court Administrator, or the Chief Court Administrator’s designee; one member of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives; one member of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services, appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate; representatives of nonprofit and philanthropic organizations and scholars who are experts in two-generational programs and policies; and other business and academic professionals as needed to achieve goals for two-generational systems planning, evaluations and outcomes. The staff of the Commission on Children shall serve as the organizing and administrative staff of the working group.

(d) Coordinators of two-generational programs in each community in the pilot program and any organization serving as a fiduciary for the program shall report on a quarterly basis to the interagency working group.

(e) Not later than January 1, 2017, the interagency working group shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies that details: (1) The number of families served in the program; (2) the number of adults who have obtained jobs since receiving services from the program; (3) the number of children who have improved academically, including, but not limited to, (A) achievement band increases, and (B) improvements in reading comprehension and math literacy; (4) the number of adults who have received job training, completed job training, enrolled in educational courses and obtained educational certificates or degrees; (5) the cost of the program in both state and private dollars; and (6) recommendations to expand the program to additional communities state wide.

(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 401.)

History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 effective July 1, 2015.