Committee debates amendment to let DCF reserve small share of child-care funds to prevent center closures

Representative Merwicki (Windham-4 District) introduced an amendment during the House Appropriations Committee meeting that would insert language allowing the commissioner for children and families to "reserve up to one half of one percent of the Child Care Financial Assistance Program funds for extraordinary financial relief" to "assist childcare programs that are at risk of closing or not opening."

Deputy Commissioner Janet McLaughlin of the Department for Children and Families, who oversees the Child Development Division, told the committee the department "is not supportive of the proposed amendments" and called the change "a pretty significant design change to pre K." McLaughlin said the amendment is premature given ongoing budget work for fiscal 2026 and uncertainty around federal funding for childcare and described operational and policy hurdles the division…