Connecticut General Statutes Title 17B. Social Services § 17b-749a. Purchase of child care services. Grants to school readiness providers. Duties of Commissioner of Early Childhood concerning school readiness

(a) The Commissioner of Early Childhood shall establish, within available appropriations, a program to (1) purchase directly or provide subsidies to parents to purchase child care services provided by any elementary or secondary school, nursery school, preschool, child care center, as described in section 19a-77, group child care home, as described in section 19a-77, family child care home, as described in section 19a-77, family resource center, Head Start program, or local or regional board of education, provided, if the commissioner purchases such services directly, he or she shall give preference to purchasing from providers of full-day and year-round programs; and (2) award grants to providers of school readiness programs, as defined in section 10-16p, to increase the hours of operation of their programs in order to provide child care for children attending such programs. The commissioner, for purposes of subdivision (1) of this subsection, may model the program on the program established pursuant to section 17b-749.

(b) No funds received by a provider pursuant to this section shall be used to supplant federal funding received for early childhood education on behalf of children in an early childhood education program.

(c) The commissioner shall: (1) Coordinate the development of a range of alternative programs to meet the needs of all children; (2) foster partnerships between school districts and private organizations; (3) provide information and assistance to parents in selecting an appropriate school readiness program; and (4) work to ensure, to the extent possible, that school readiness programs allow open enrollment for all children and allow families receiving benefits for such a program to choose a public or accredited private program.