More than 1,000 additional children in Connecticut will be eligible to attend preschool this fall, according to a recent bill signed into law by Gov. Dannel Malloy. In 2012, Malloy approved a similar expansion of 1,000 school readiness slots throughout the state.
This year, 1,020 more school readiness slots are available for low-income children in 46 towns and cities throughout Connecticut, including six in Fairfield County, according to Myra Jones-Taylor, commissioner of the Office of Early Childhood. A total of 265 additional slots will be available in Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford, Greenwich and Shelton, according to a press release from the state.
The state-funded school readiness program provides preschool education for low-income, 3- and 4-year-olds in priority and competitive school districts in Connecticut. Priority schools include eight towns in the state with the largest populations and the eleven towns with the highest number of children under the temporary family assistance program. A competitive school district is a town that has schools in which 40 percent or more of the students receive free or reduced-price lunches or a town among the bottom 50 in the state in terms of wealth.
“We know that low-income children who have not had access to high-quality preschool face greater challenges in comparison to their wealthier peers who have had high-quality preschool experiences,” Jones-Taylor said. “This expansion will give 1,020 more 3- and-4-year-olds a chance to grow and learn in an enriched learning environment with qualified teachers, providing them with the experience they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.”
In order for schools or centers to be eligible for school readiness funding, they must be accredited or pursue accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children or be a federally-funded Head Start program, according to the Office of Early Childhood.
The plan is to expand pre-K for another 3,000 kids for the next four years.
