OEC funds early care and education programs across the state through several different grants and contracts. These funds support child care programs, family child care providers, Head Start programs, and public schools to provide affordable, high-quality early care and education services. Enrollment and checking for eligibility for these services is determined by local providers.
Want to know how much you’ll pay for child care?
If your child’s early care and education is funded through Early Start CT or a Smart Start program that charges a family fee, use our family fee calculator to estimate how much you’ll pay for child care.
Keep in mind the calculator just provides a fee estimate. Your child care program will notify you about your family’s actual fee when you enroll.
Programs
- Early Start CT is a state-funded early care and education program. It combines 3 former state funded programs — Child Day Care Contracts, School Readiness Grants, and State Head Start Supplement Grants — into 1 program. Learn more about Early Start CT.
- Smart Start is a grant program that provides funding to establish or expand a preschool program in the public schools. These programs prioritize enrollment for families based on income and other factors such as housing insecurity or status as a dual language learner. Learn more about Smart Start.
Last updated June 26, 2025