Summary of Substitute House Bill No. 5002

• Establishes the Early Childhood Care and Education Fund as a separate, non-state fund to receive contributions from public and private sources for early childhood education and child care support, with the Treasurer managing investments and the Comptroller disbursing funds.

• Creates the Early Childhood Care and Education Fund Advisory Commission with representatives from legislative leadership, state agencies, early childhood educators, parents, providers, and philanthropic organizations to monitor fund health, develop five-year expenditure plans, and submit annual reports by January 1, 2026.

• Establishes a Tri-Share Child Care Matching Program in New London County where child care costs are equally shared among participating employers, employees, and the state, effective July 1, 2024.

• Provides one-time wage supplement payments of at least $1,800 to eligible early childhood teachers and teacher assistants in state-funded programs for fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, funded by $9 million from existing appropriations.

• Requires licensed child care facilities to allow children in the birth-to-three early intervention program to receive services at their locations, updates posting requirements for developmental milestones, and adds the Commissioner of Early Childhood to state land-use determination processes.