This brief compares the early care and education budget proposals of the General Assembly's Appropriations Committee and the Governor. The Appropriations Committee budget essentially maintains the same funding levels as the Governor’s proposed budget for the vast majority of programs, including Care4Kids, State-Funded Centers, School Readiness Competitive School Districts, Head Start, and quality enhancement for these programs. It reduces funding slightly for School Readiness Programs in Priority School Districts in FY 15 and Birth-to-Three in FY 14 from the Governor’s proposed amounts for the same periods.
The Appropriations Committee proposal restores funding for multiple early childhood programs that the Governor had proposed eliminating entirely, notably Even Start, Parent Universities, and the Children’s Law Center, Family Empowerment, Family School Connection, and Kinship Fund programs within the Children’s Trust Fund. It also expands funding for School-Based Health Centers over the Governor’s proposed amount by a total increase of $7.77 million over the Governor’s budget (78%). The Appropriations Committee’s budget aligns with the Governor’s budget in calling for the creation of an Office of Early Childhood (OEC), and suggests including in that Office almost all of the same elements.
