Hi everyone — I’m Mrs. Kaila, proud owner and lead teacher here at Bright Kidz Family Home Daycare in Waterbury, CT. I wanted to take a moment to share something truly exciting happening in Connecticut’s early childhood world — and what it means for both parents and providers like me.
🌱 What Is the New Early Childhood Education Endowment?
Connecticut recently launched a $300 million Early Childhood Education Endowment Fund — a permanent investment dedicated to strengthening child care and early learning across our state. The goal is to ensure that every child, regardless of income, has access to high-quality, affordable care and education.
Over time, the earnings from this fund will help:
• Expand access to affordable daycare for families.
• Raise wages and professional development opportunities for early educators.
• Support small, home-based programs like ours that form the backbone of our communities.
This isn’t a quick, one-year fix — it’s a long-term commitment that starts now and grows each year.
👩🏾👧🏾 Why It Matters for Parents
As a mom and provider, I understand how hard it can be to balance quality and affordability. This endowment will eventually help families by:
• Reducing out-of-pocket daycare costs and expanding subsidy options.
• Making it easier for parents to choose smaller, more nurturing environments like Bright Kidz — not just large centers.
• Strengthening the support systems that help children thrive from infancy to preschool.
For many families, the hope is that child care costs will be capped at around 7% of household income, with expanded eligibility for those earning under $100,000 per year by 2027.
For home-based daycare owners, this is a huge opportunity. The endowment recognizes how essential family child care providers are — especially in neighborhoods where parents rely on trusted, small programs for flexible, personal care.
With stronger funding and support, providers like me can:
• Pay assistants and substitutes a fairer wage.
• Invest in curriculum, materials, and facility upgrades.
• Receive more professional training and growth opportunities.
• Build a more sustainable business model without constantly worrying about financial strain.
This also means I can continue to focus on what I love most — teaching, nurturing, and building community.
🧩 My Next Step: Expanding Into a Group Home
With all of this happening, I’m thrilled to share that I’m in the process of expanding Bright Kidz Family Home Daycare into a licensed Group Home.
This will allow me to:
• Care for up to 12 children instead of 6.
• Create separate learning spaces for infants and toddlers.
• Hire more qualified assistants, like our amazing OEC-approved teacher Miss Barbara Boone, and continue training Miss La, our Family Operations Manager (and my mom!), toward substitute approval.
• Offer even more Montessori-inspired learning experiences in a structured yet family-centered setting.
The timing feels perfect — as the state invests in better early childhood systems, I’m investing in growing Bright Kidz to meet those higher standards and serve more families in our community.
💕 A Brighter Future Together
This endowment gives us all something powerful: hope.
Hope for families who deserve affordable, high-quality care.
Hope for providers who work tirelessly to nurture the next generation.
And hope for communities like ours, where early learning starts right at home.
I’m proud that Bright Kidz Family Home Daycare is part of this movement — and I’m even more excited about our next chapter as we prepare to become a licensed Group Home program.
Thank you to every parent who continues to trust us with your little ones. Together, we’re building something special — not just for today, but for the future of early childhood care in Connecticut.