Press Releases
08/11/2016
Gov. Malloy Announces Early Childhood Commissioner Myra Jones-Taylor to Depart Position
(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced Office of Early Childhood Commissioner Dr. Myra Jones-Taylor will depart from state service for new professional opportunities, effective September 1, 2016.
Dr. Jones-Taylor was originally appointed as Executive Director for the newly created Office of Early Childhood in June 2013. In May 2014, when the OEC became an independent, cabinet-level agency, she became commissioner. She was re-appointed to the position in January 2015. Commissioner Jones-Taylor had previously served as Director of the state Office of Early Childhood Planning since 2012, a position aimed at creating a statewide plan for a coordinated early care and education system for young children.
Under Commissioner Jones-Taylor's leadership, the department's major accomplishments include:
- Establishment of the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, one of four cabinet-level state agencies in the nation dedicated to serving young children and their families.
- Streamlined numerous programs including Early Care and Education, Care4Kids, the Children's Trust Fund, Child Care Licensing, Birth to Three, and Charts a Course Workforce Registry from five state agencies - SDE, DSS, DPH, DDS, and BOR - into one.
- Brought over $50 million in new federal grant money to the state over four years.
- Boosted publicly funded preschool capacity by nearly 3,000 spaces.
- Implemented an Early Childhood Information System to provide consistent and unduplicated data on all children enrolled in our state-funded early care and education programs.
- Developed and streamlined learning standards statewide by publishing the Connecticut Early Learning and Development Standards (CT ELDS), a document outlining what children, from birth to age five, should know and be able to do. The document was distributed to numerous early childhood providers including preschool teachers, child care centers, pediatricians, Family Resource Centers and libraries.
- Worked collaboratively with stakeholders to create a plan for a comprehensive home visiting system for Connecticut to provide referrals to community resources and support to parents and their children.
"Under Myra's steady leadership, Connecticut has increased access to and availability of early childhood education - it's so critical. We aim to ensure all kids enter school ready to learn, and we have made important strides during her tenure. Her passion, expertise, and dedication to the well-being of children - especially those impacted by poverty - are extraordinary," Governor Malloy said. "I wish Myra the best in her next endeavor and I am confident she will continue to make an impact on the healthy development of young children. I have no doubt that the incredible progress accomplished by the dedicated staff of the Office of Early Childhood will continue."
"Myra and her team did extraordinary work to ensure the strongest programs and services for Connecticut's young children. She brought together the people who are on the front lines of early childhood care and education - generations will benefit because of her leadership," said Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman. "She has my gratitude for her diligence and compassion, and my deepest respect for being such a positive messenger of investing in young children. I wish her the best of luck in her next position."
"Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would have the good fortune of working alongside such dedicated and passionate people. Together we have accomplished great things, things many people thought would never happen in Connecticut," Commissioner Jones-Taylor said. "Thousands more children have access to high-quality full-day preschool. Countless providers have more confidence and trust in our licensing inspection process than ever before. More and more families are aware of the importance of developmental screening and know where to go when they have concerns about their children's development. I leave the agency knowing that an uncompromising commitment to do what is right and just for the families we serve is woven into the fabric of the Office of Early Childhood."
Governor Malloy will announce a successor to serve as Office of Early Childhood Commissioner in the coming weeks. In the interim, Deputy Commissioner Linda Goodman will serve as the acting commissioner.
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