The Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance is recognizing 24 state legislators for making Connecticut’s young children and their families a priority this session.
Each year, the Alliance seeks nominees from its membership, taking into account active assistance during the legislative session on issues that are of interest to the membership, as well as availability and access for constituents. This year’s nominees proved they put young children front and center as they shaped legislation and engaged with early childhood advocates to create the most effective early childhood policy for Connecticut.
This year has been a particularly successful year for early childhood, with the passage of the CT Office of Early Childhood, planning for universal access for preschool, expanding School Readiness, increasing rates for not only School Readiness, but also child development centers; and budget increases for Care4Kids and full-day, full-year rates for state-funded programs.
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“For years, we’ve worked with legislators to make early childhood a priority issue, both at the Capitol and in the districts, and we’re seeing results of that work,” said Karen Rainville, CT Early Childhood Alliance co-chair and the executive director of CT Association for the Education of Young Children (CAEYC). “The Children’s Champions stepped up this year for their youngest constituents.”
Senator Andres Ayala was honored during the Bridgeport Alliance for Young Children's (BAYC) annual meeting on June 18.
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"I accept this award in conjunction with all the people who have been working at the ground level - all of the groups, the providers," Ayala said. "They're doing the hard work, we're just legislating what makes sense."
Legislator of the Year 2014:
Rep. Michelle Cook (D-65) Torrington
Children’s Champions 2014:
Senator Andres Ayala (D-23) Bridgeport and Stratford
Senator Dante Bartolomeo (D-13) Cheshire, Meriden, Middlefield and Middletown
Senator Toni Boucher (R-26) Bethel, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport and Wilton
Senator Beth Bye (D-05) Bloomfield, Burlington, Farmington and West Hartford
Senator Carlo Leone (D-27) Stamford and Darien
Senator Andrea Stillman (D-20) Bozrah, East Lyme, Montville, New London, Old Lyme, Salem and Waterford
Senator Don Williams (D-29) Brooklyn, Canterbury, Killingly, Mansfield, Putnam, Scotland, Thompson and Windham
Representative Cathy Abercrombie (D-83) Berlin and Meriden
Representative Tim Ackert (R-08) Columbia, Coventry, Tolland and Vernon
Representative Joe Aresimowicz (D-30) Berlin and Southington
Representative Juan Candelaria (D-95) New Haven
Representative Victor Cuevas (D-75) Waterbury
Representative Andrew Fleischmann (D-18) West Hartford
Representative Mae Flexer (D-44) Killingly and Plainfield
Representative Daniel Fox (D-148) Stamford
Representative Gerald Fox (D-146) Stamford
Representative Mary Fritz (D-90) Cheshire and Wallingford
Representative Patricia Billie Miller (D-145) Stamford
Representative Bobby Sanchez (D-25) New Britain
Representative Hilda Santiago (D-84) Meriden
Representative William Tong (D-147) Stamford and Darien
Representative Toni Walker (D-93) New Haven
Representative Roberta Willis (D-64) Canaan, Cornwall, Goshen, Kent, Norfolk, North Canaan, Salisbury, Torrington and Sharon
In lieu of an event at the State Capitol, Children’s Champions will be honored in-district with local early childhood advocates.
