In Connecticut, childcare costs an average of $300 a week. For many working families, that is not a childcare bill — it is a second rent payment. Parents in Waterbury and across the state are being forced to move back in with family, turn down jobs, and make impossible choices just to keep their children cared for while they work.
On Monday, dozens rallied on the Waterbury Green as part of a nationwide push to demand that lawmakers treat childcare as what it truly is: essential public infrastructure.
"It gives me the time to go ahead and look for jobs. Everything. We need that childcare," said Taniqua Ocasio, a parent at the rally.
Connecticut has taken steps in the right direction. The state's $300 million investment in the early childhood endowment and the Early Start CT program, which provides free or low-cost childcare, are meaningful. But they are not enough.
The economics are clear: every dollar invested in childcare returns $16 to the economy. Universal childcare keeps parents in the workforce, reduces financial strain on families, and strengthens communities. "The return on investment means our economy keeps moving forward," said Eva Bermúdez Zimmerman of Child Care for CT. "It's time that we do it now."
Sign this petition to stand with Waterbury parents and demand that Connecticut lawmakers and federal representatives act urgently to expand affordable childcare access for every family in the state.

Photo: NBC CT