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OEC: Care for Kids capped at 23,000; 3,210 families (~4,200 children) remain on wait list as agency seeks public input on new policy manual
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Summary
OEC officials said Care for Kids enrollment is capped by budget at 23,000 children, leaving about 3,210 families (roughly 4,200 children) on the wait list; staff announced a draft family‑friendly CCDF policy manual and an online public comment portal for parents and providers.
Laura Bennett of the CCDF policy team told the Early Childhood Cabinet that OEC is drafting a family‑friendly policy manual for Care for Kids and has launched a public comment portal to solicit feedback from families and providers about applications, documentation and timelines. "We have created a public comment platform or portal that will allow an online space for families and providers to leave feedback on the policies that we are developing," Laura Bennett said.
Bennett said the drafting process has been grounded in listening sessions with families and providers; outreach will include mailings to parents, postcards distributed by parent‑cabinet members and a short online survey expected to take about five minutes. OEC asked cabinet members and partners to help publicize the portal so affected families can provide input.
On enrollment and capacity, the commissioner recounted that Connecticut served fewer than 16,000 children through Care for Kids in 2019 and now supports 23,000 children — a cap set by budget decisions. The commissioner gave current wait‑list numbers: about 3,210 families, representing roughly 4,200 children. Holly Williams (OPM) confirmed that roughly $34,000,000 was added to the budget to maintain the 23,000 slot level.
Officials clarified funding and jurisdiction: Care for Kids uses a mix of federal CCDF funds and state matching dollars and therefore must follow federal rules; by contrast the endowment and Early Start expansions are funded with state dollars and are subject to state requirements.
Next steps: OEC will continue revising the draft policy manual with federal technical assistance and plans statewide listening sessions tied to the larger endowment rollout and portal development. The office asked cabinet members to pass along the survey and portal link to providers and parents.
(Reporting based on Laura Bennett's presentation and commissioner remarks to the Early Childhood Cabinet.)
