2022 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 10 - Education and Culture
Chapter 164 - Educational Opportunities
Section 10-16o. - Development of network of school readiness programs.

The state shall encourage the development of a network of school readiness programs pursuant to sections 10-16p to 10-16r, inclusive, 10-16u and 17b-749a in order to:

(1) Provide open access for children to quality programs that promote the health and safety of children and prepare them for formal schooling;

(2) Provide opportunities for parents to choose among affordable and accredited programs;

(3) Encourage coordination and cooperation among programs and prevent the duplication of services;

(4) Recognize the specific service needs and unique resources available to particular municipalities and provide flexibility in the implementation of programs;

(5) Prevent or minimize the potential for developmental delay in children prior to their reaching the age of five;

(6) Enhance federally funded school readiness programs;

(7) Strengthen the family through: (A) Encouragement of family engagement and partnership in a child's development and education; and (B) enhancement of a family's capacity to meet the special needs of the children, including children with disabilities;

(8) Reduce educational costs by decreasing the need for special education services for school age children and to avoid grade repetition;

(9) Assure that children with disabilities are integrated into programs available to children who do not have disabilities;

(10) Improve the availability and quality of school readiness programs and their coordination with the services of child care providers; and

(11) Facilitate the racial, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of the children, families and staff in school readiness programs.

(P.A. 97-259, S. 1, 41; P.A. 00-187, S. 10, 75; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1, S. 10, 54; P.A. 03-76, S. 39; P.A. 04-215, S. 1; P.A. 17-202, S. 14; P.A. 21-172, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 97-259 effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 00-187 added reference to Sec. 10-16u, effective July 1, 2000; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-1 amended Subdiv. (10) to add provision re coordination with the services of child care providers, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 03-76 made a technical change in Subdiv. (5), effective June 3, 2003; P.A. 04-215 amended Subdiv. (2) by deleting reference to “approved” programs, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 17-202 amended Subdiv. (9) by replacing “are not disabled” with “do not have disabilities”; P.A. 21-172 amended Subdiv. (7) by replacing “parental involvement” with “family engagement and partnership”, added Subdiv. (11) re facilitate racial, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of children, families and staff in school readiness programs, and made conforming changes, effective July 1, 2021.