50 Early Childhood Slots for Norwalk School Children

This year’s landmark education bill created 1,000 new slots for children in school readiness programs across the state and Norwalk will get 50 additional school readiness slots this year, expanding critical preschool opportunities to more children.

The 50 new slots for Norwalk were part of 1,000 early childhood slots created by the Legislature and signed by Governor Dannel P. Malloy in this year’s landmark education reform bill. 

This is fantastic news for Norwalk families because it means 50 additional children will have access to critical early childhood opportunities. We have to do everything in our power to ensure our children are ready to learn and excel when they enter kindergarten. That is why we created 1,000 new preschool slots – to build a solid foundation for future academic endeavors.

Public Act 12-116, An Act Concerning Education Reform, targets $6.775 million in new funding for increased access to high-quality early childhood education. The slots will be administered through the Connecticut School Readiness program, a state Department of Education initiative designed to strengthen and increase access to high-quality preschool for children ages three and four.

The historic new education law has a special focus on early learning, literacy and health and seeks to improve the quality of education for all Connecticut residents as well as address the state’s glaring achievement gap.

 In addition to funding for 1,000 new early childhood slots, the bill includes: 

• • Authorization of 20 new or expanded school-based health centers.
  • Effective kindergarten through 3rd grade reading programs.
  • A requirement for 20 minutes of physical exercise each day for kindergarten through 5th grade.
  • Encouragement for innovative approaches to teaching English Language Learners.
  • The establishment of 10 new family resource centers.