AN ACT REQUIRING THE OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD TO STUDY THE AVAILABILITY OF CHILD CARE SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND TO DEVELOP A PLAN TO ADDRESS INFANT AND TODDLER CHILD CARE SERVICES NEEDS FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES.

HB 6840 requires Connecticut's Office of Early Childhood to study child care availability statewide, focusing on infant and toddler care slots for low-income families. The bill mandates an annual report by January 1, 2026, detailing the number of child care centers, homes, open slots (including infant/toddler-specific), and supply-demand gaps across all municipalities. It also directs the Office to develop a plan by the same deadline, using the study's findings to increase subsidized child care access for low-income families through strategies like expanding slots and identifying eligible households. This bill directly affects low-income families with infants or toddlers who struggle to access affordable child care, with no funding or implementation details specified.