Accrediting Organization to Decide Fate of Plan to Merge 12 Community Colleges into One

Plans to merge Connecticut’s 12 community colleges into a single institution, expected to be called the Community College of Connecticut, are now being reviewed by the region’s accrediting body, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, known best by the acronym, NEASC. Back in August, after first learning about the Connecticut merger proposal in an 18-page outline provided by Connecticut officials, NEASC had questions, and many of them.  In a detailed four-page letter to the leadership of the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU), NEASC indicated they had yet to receive “sufficient information to be confident CSCU’s process will result in arrangements that are compliant with the Standards for Accreditation.”  The letter from David Angel, Chair of NEASC's Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, was shared with the leadership of all the colleges and universities in the state's public CSCU system.

NEASC officials met three times with Connecticut officials last year, the Connecticut Post reported recently. Another meeting in Connecticut is planned for this month.

The President/Chief Executive Officer at NEASC, since 2011, is Cameron Staples, a former Connecticut state legislator and former chair of the legislature’s Education Committee and Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee.  In 2010, he briefly sought the Democratic nomination for Attorney General.  

The letter from NEASC also indicated that “the materials submitted to date have been very clear on the financial reasons for the proposed change but less clear on a rationale tied more directly to the mission of the colleges.”  NEASC noted that the proposal stated plans to retain the “unique mission” and “local community connection” of each of the 12 institutions after the merger, but indicated the need for “further information about how this will be accomplished through the proposed merger.”

The consolidation plan was subsequently approved by the Board of Regents of CSCU in December, with only one member of the Board abstaining and others unanimously supporting the plan, developed to save money across the system by eliminating staff positions, many said to be duplicative, that would not adversely impact students.  Student and faculty groups at the campuses have raised questions about the ultimate effectiveness of the plan, or have opposed it outright.

Following approval by the Regents, a more detailed plan was submitted to NEASC seeking approval from the accrediting organization.  If NEASC accreditation is obtained, Connecticut officials hope to have initial implementation by July 1 of this year and the new structure fully in place by July 1 of next year.  That is predicated on receiving NEASC approval by June; published reports indicate that NEASC officials anticipate consideration at the organization’s board meeting this spring.

NEASC’s Barbara Brittingham, president of the Commission, recently told the CT Post that Connecticut’s timeline was “ambitious,” particularly for a “substantive change” that involved 12 colleges.  The newspaper also reported that several Regents committees are at work looking at 1) integrating new positions and selecting people to fill those jobs, 2) aligning 12 academic course catalogs and 3) fine-tuning the projected savings of the new system.

Since December’s Regents approval, in media interviews and public explanations, details of what’s planned are being highlighted, while the system awaits NEASC approval.  The merger plan was initially proposed last April as an “expedient solution” in reaction to state funding cuts to the colleges and an ongoing “structural deficit” resulting from operational costs outpacing revenue.

The plan calls for 12 college president positions to be eliminated, with a new structure to take its place that would include a creation of a “vice chancellor” position to lead the new 12-campus community college system, along with three new regional president positions that would report to the vice chancellor, each with presumably jurisdiction over four college campuses.  Each of those 12 campuses would be led by a campus vice president.

The Regents plans would consolidate college functions in six areas:  Information Technology, Human Resources, Purchasing, Financial Aid Services, Institutional Research and Assessment, and Facilities Management. 

The plan anticipates saving $28 million a year by eliminating college presidents, a process that has already begun, as well as budget staff and other administrators at each institution and creating a centralized staff to run the public colleges. Another plan aimed at saving an additional $13 million by reorganizing how financial aid, enrollment management and other services are delivered is also part of the proposal.

The proposal would create one of the nation’s largest community colleges with about more than 53,000 students. Among the largest currently are Miami Dade College with 174,000 students; Lone Star College in Houston, with 90,000; Northern Virginia Community College, in Springfield, VA, with 76,000 students; Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, with 67,000 students, and Houston Community College with 63,000 students.

Officials note that Connecticut’s higher education system has changed previously, including when the four regional state universities and 12 community colleges, along with the on-line Charter Oak State College, were brought together under the newly established Board of Regents umbrella six years ago, and when the state’s technical colleges and community colleges merged in the 1990’s.

NEASC is the regional accreditation agency for colleges and universities in the six New England states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education. NEASC accreditation is a system of accountability that is ongoing, voluntary, and comprehensive in scope.  It is based on standards which are developed and regularly reviewed by the members and which define the characteristics of good schools and colleges, according to the organization’s website.

Where Are America’s Big Spenders? Connecticut Ranks Number 6

Consumer spending is the engine that powers the American economy, accounting for about 70 percent of all activity. When the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis— part of the U.S. Department of Commerce—published new numbers in October tabulating personal consumption, the website howmuch.net reviewed the data and published the state-by-state breakdown. The data includes areas such as housing and utilities, health care expenses, and eating at restaurants. Washington D.C. topped the personal consumption per capita list, and Connecticut reached the top ten, landing at number six.  The data, the website suggests, “reveals an interesting snapshot about the economy.”  The top ten:

1. Washington, DC: $56,843
2. Massachusetts: $51,981
3. Alaska: $49,547
4. New Jersey: $48,972
5. New Hampshire: $48,810
6. Connecticut: $48,497
7. North Dakota: $48,225
8. Vermont: $47,648
9. New York: $46,906
10. Hawaii: $45,123

The map of the data illustrates a number of trends including that the Northeast has a cluster of heavy consumer spending states.  Six of the top ten most expensive places are in the Northeast, including three of the New England states, led by Massachusetts.

There is also a collection of lower consumer spending states across the Deep South to the Southwest, stretching all the way from North Carolina ($33,779) to Nevada ($36,177) and even up to Oregon ($39,742). At the bottom of the list is Mississippi, “where it costs only $30,200 to pay for life’s most common expenses,” the website points out.

New England Colleges Prepare Report on Employability of Students; Draft Recommendations Outlined

December 22 is the deadline for those seeking to comment on the draft report and recommendations of the Commission on Higher Education & Employability, established earlier this year by the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE).  The Commission, which includes nine representatives of institutions and organizations in Connecticut, released its preliminary findings at a day-long Summit in Boston. “Despite the region’s strength in postsecondary institutions, employers remain concerned about a lack of qualified, skilled workers, particularly in technology-intensive and growth-oriented industries,” the draft report notes. “The Commission has proposed a draft action agenda, policy recommendations, strategies and next steps to align institutions, policymakers and industry behind increasing the career readiness of graduates of New England colleges and universities—and facilitate their transitions to work and sustained contributions to the well-being and competitiveness of the region.”

In addition to five strategic priorities,  the draft report includes specific recommendations are being considered in five areas:  Labor Market Data & Intelligence; Planning, Advising & Career Services; Higher Education-Industry Partnerships; Work-Integrated Learning; Digital Skills; and Emerging Credentials.

Among the recommendations being considered are a call for higher education institutions to incorporate employability into their strategic plans/priorities; determine their effectiveness in embedding and measuring employability across the institution; and develop a regional partnership for shared purchasing and contracting of labor market data, information and intelligence services.

The proposed recommendations also call on the New England states to “collaborate to launch multistate, industry-specific partnerships beginning with three of the top growth-oriented sectors, including: healthcare, life and biosciences and financial services.” It further urges the states to explore “implementing policies (public and institutional) that incentivize businesses (through tax credits or other means) to expand paid internships.”  The draft report also calls for the establishment of a New England Planning, Advising and Career Service Network.

The draft report calls on the states to “confront notable college-attainment gaps and the related personal and societal costs,” and “consider specific employability strategies to target and benefit students who are at risk of not completing postsecondary credentials, including underrepresented populations.”

Eastern Connecticut State University President Elsa Núñez led a session at the Summit about the Commission's “Equity Imperative.” Officials indicate that Commission's workforce vision serves all New Englanders ... “as a matter of social justice, but also as a matter of sound economics in the slow-growing region.”  Núñez highlighted her internship work with students who may not have cars or other resources to capitalize on off-campus work-integrated learning.

In addition to Núñez, the nine members of the Commission from Connecticut are:

• Andrea Comer, Vice President, Workforce Strategies, Connecticut Business & Industry Association Education and Workforce Partnership
• Freddy Cruz, Student, Eastern Connecticut State University
• Maura Dunn, Vice President of Human Resources & Administration, General Dynamics Electric Boat
• Mae Flexer, State Senator
• Tyler Mack, Student Government Association President, Eastern Connecticut State University
• Mark Ojakian, President, Connecticut State Colleges & Universities
• Jen Widness, President, Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges
• Jeffrey Wihbey, Interim Superintendent, Connecticut Technical High School System

The commission also includes six members from Vermont, seven members from New Hampshire and Maine, 11 from Massachusetts, 12 from Rhode Island, as well as two regional members and six representatives of NEBHE. The Commission's Chair is Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo.  The proposed recommendations, developed during the past six months, have broad implications, according to officials, “critical to building a foundation for moving forward the Commission's efforts toward strengthening the employability of New England's graduates.”

At Eastern Connecticut State University—which is about 30% students of color—lower-income, minority and first-generation students often had no cars, so had difficulty traveling off campus to internships. White students got most of the internships, President Elsa Núñez told the NEHBE Journal earlier this year.

The Journal reported that Eastern’s Work Hub eliminates that need, allowing students to develop practical skills doing real-time work assignments without having to travel off campus, and providing the insurance company Cigna with a computer network and facility where its staff could provide on-site guidance and support to Eastern student interns.

The draft report’s strategic priority recommendations include:

• New England state higher education systems, governing and coordinating boards, together with New England’s employers, should make increased employability of graduates a strategic priority—linked to the strategic plans, key outcomes, performance indicators and accountability measures for the higher education institutions under their stewardship.
• New England higher education institutions should incorporate employability into their strategic plans/ priorities supported by efforts to define, prioritize and embed employability across the institution and in multiple dimensions of learning and the student experience—both curricular and extracurricular.
• New England should make strategic efforts and investments—at the state, system and institution level— to expand research, data gathering, assessment capacity and longitudinal data systems to enable more effective understanding and documentation of key employability-related measures and outcomes.
• New England higher education institutions should undertake formal employability audits to review the strategic, operational and assessment-oriented activities related to employability–and their effectiveness in embedding and measuring employability across the institution.
• To confront notable college-attainment gaps and the related personal and societal costs, states must consider specific employability strategies to target and benefit students who are at risk of not completing postsecondary credentials, including underrepresented populations.

The Boston-based New England Board of Higher Education promotes greater educational opportunities and services for the residents of New England. Comments on the recommendations are accepted on-line through Dec. 22.

Philanthropy 101? CCSU to Offer Course, Capstone Project Aimed at Boosting Philanthropy

Throughout Connecticut, philanthropic organizations distribute more than a billion dollars every year and individuals donate nearly $4 billion more. Responding to both the State’s philanthropic needs and need for skilled philanthropy professionals, Central Connecticut State University is offering an innovative course in the practice of philanthropy beginning next semester. The ambitious 16-week course is to include 25 presenters from local nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, many based in New Britain, as is the CCSU campus.   As part of the course, students will study local needs, create a case study, and write a proposal following the American Savings Foundation grant-making guidelines.  Officials say that at the conclusion of the course, up to two of these projects may each be funded with a $5,000 grant from the American Savings Foundation.

Connecticut ranked 47th among the 50 states in philanthropic giving as a percentage of income, with a “giving ratio” of 2.4 percent, 25 percent lower than the national average, according to an analysis earlier this year by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. The giving ratio is the total of a locality’s charitable contributions as a share of its total adjusted gross income.

“They will learn more than just philosophy,” points out Professor Carol Shaw Austad, who will co-teach with former CCSU President Richard Judd. “This class is hands-on. Students will work in teams to design a philanthropic strategy. They will meet with New Britain nonprofits and evaluate impact, just like any foundation. We expect them to make a strong case statement for an organization or project.”

“There is so much to like about this course,” notes Maria Falvo, president of the American Savings Foundation.  “For one, many of these young people may go on to work at or volunteer with nonprofits. They may be fortunate enough to become donors themselves. This essential training lays the groundwork for a future in philanthropy,” Falvo says.

The giving percentage varied across the state, according to the Chronicle study:  the Fairfield County giving ratio was 2.8%, New Haven County and Litchfield counties 2.1%, Hartford County 1.9%, New London County 1.8%, Middlesex and Tolland Counties 1.7%, and Windham County 1.6%.

Donations from households earning $200,000 or more now total 52 percent of all itemized contributions. In the early 2000s, that number was consistently in the 30s, the Chronicle reported.  The report raises questions about the traditional habit of charitable donations among middle and low income individuals lessening, perhaps as a lingering after-effect of the recession. The Chronicle’s conclusion: “The number of households making room in their budgets for charitable giving is shrinking.”

CCSU President Dr. Zulma R. Toro said “I am especially pleased that this course engages our hometown of New Britain. This is a perfect example of what we mean by “CCSUConnected.” We are connecting to our communities in a mutually beneficial way by engaging our students academically in the life of our community. Our students learn skills and experiences that can prepare them for rewarding careers, and our communities can benefit from our students’ work focused on New Britain’s needs.”

“These community leaders are such a diverse and thoughtful group,” said Dr. Toro.  “Pastor Thomas Mills of Grace Church shares a session with New Britain Mayor (and CCSU alumna) Erin Stewart.  Dr. Ali Antar of the Berlin Mosque is on the agenda as is Dr. Claudia Thesing, formerly director of development at the New Britain Museum of American Art.  The speakers represent a real cross-section of the community.”

The course will run from January 17 to May 9, and is open to undergraduate students at CCSU.

Senior Citizens Less Diverse, Growing in Percentage of State’s Population

Over 575,000 Connecticut residents are age 65 and older, making up an estimated 16 percent of the state’s total population of 3.6 million, according to U.S. Census data updated through 2016.  Those numbers are expected to grow – steadily and rapidly – during the next two decades, experts anticipate. Among Connecticut’s eight counties, the largest percentage of seniors is in Litchfield County, 19.7 percent, followed by Middlesex County, 18.8 percent, and New London County, 17.1 percent.  New Haven (16.3%) and Hartford (16.2%) counties are next, followed by Fairfield and Tolland Counties, both at 14.8 percent.

The data, highlighted by the Connecticut Office of Legislative Research (OLR)  in a recent report, also shows that “Connecticut’s senior population is less ethnically and racially diverse than the state as a whole.”

Just over 89 percent of the state’s seniors (age 65+) are white, compared with 77 percent of the state’s population as a whole.  While 10 percent of the state’s population are Black or African American, that is true of only 6.4 percent of seniors.  The state’s Asian population is 4.2 percent of the total; among seniors, less than half that, only 2 percent, are of Asian heritage.

While the total state population is almost evenly split between male (49%) and female (51%) residents, the senior population has a larger percentage of females (57%) compared to males (43%), the analysis found.  Connecticut seniors are more likely to be veterans (20% vs. 7% of all residents) and more likely to have a disability (32% vs. 11% of residents).

According to a recent report by the state’s Commission on Women, Children and Seniors, Connecticut is the 7th oldest state in the nation.  Roughly one-third of the state’s population are baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964.  The state also has nearly 1,000 people over the age of 100.  As has been previously projected, the number of Connecticut towns with at least 20 percent of residents age 65 or older will dramatically increase between 2010 and 2020 (see maps below).  The 65 and older population is expected to grow by 56 percent in Connecticut between 2010 and 2040, compared with  1.5 percent growth in the population between ages 20 and 64.

Approximately 7 percent of Connecticut seniors had incomes which fell below the census poverty level, with an additional 8 percent of seniors having incomes between 100 percent to 149 percent of the threshold, the OLR report indicated. The most common source of income for Connecticut seniors is Social Security, with an average benefit of $20,591 per year, as of 2015. An estimated 90 percent of senior homeowners and renters receive Social Security benefits. The second most common source (50.7%) is personal retirement income, averaging $27,240 per year in 2015.

Of the more than 330,000 senior households, an estimated 76 percent are homeowners and 24 percent are renters. This represents higher home ownership rates than the state as a whole (67% of 1.35 million households).

The most common source of income for Connecticut seniors, the report indicated, is Social Security, with an average benefit of $20,591 per year in 2015. An estimated 90 percent of senior homeowners and renters receive Social Security benefits. The second most common source (50.7%) is personal retirement income, averaging $27,240 per year in 2015.

The demographic characteristics of Connecticut’s senior population (e.g. residents age 65 years and older) used by OLR were largely based on the 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Population Density in Three CT Cities Reaches Top 100 in USA, Data Shows

Bridgeport’s population density, 9,138 people per square mile, is among the top 60 nationally, according to data compiled by Governing magazine for jurisdictions with populations of at least 50,000.  Bridgeport, the state’s largest city, had a population of just over 145,000 living in 16 square miles, the data indicated, ranking at number 58.  It is one of three Connecticut cities in the top 100. The “dense” top ten:  Union City, New Jersey; West New York, New Jersey; Hoboken, New Jersey; New York, New York; Passaic, New Jersey; Somerville, Mass.; Huntington Park, CA.; San Francisco; Jersey City; Paterson, New Jersey and Cambridge, MA.   Boston ranks at #19; Providence is #54. 

Lower on the list of America’s most dense population centers is Hartford, 17 square miles and a population of 123,000, with a population density of 7,091 people per square mile; New Haven, just three notches below Hartford at 6,956, in a city of 130,000 covering 19 square miles.  Both were in the 100 most dense cities; Hartford at #97, New Haven at #100.

They are followed later by New Britain with a land area of 13 square miles at 5,419; West Haven, at 5,071 population density over 11 square miles, and Norwalk, with a population density of 3,869 in an area covering 23 square miles.  Waterbury, at 29 square miles, has a population density of 3,796; Stamford’s population density is 3,430 in a city of 38 square miles.

The data is based on the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, estimates current through July 1, 2016.  Governing notes that “jurisdictions with the highest population densities tend to be concentrated in northern regions, particularly the New York metropolitan area.”

According to the 2010 Census, Connecticut overall ranked sixth in the nation in population density, with a population of 3,574,097 and 738 people per square mile.  The state’s population has dropped since that Census, and is now estimated at 3,568,174.  The nation’s densest populations, as of 2010, were in the District of Columbia, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

CT Companies Praxair and Xerox Are Named to Top 100 Corporate Citizens

Two Connecticut-based companies have been named among America’s Best Corporate Citizens.  Danbury-based Praxair and Xerox, with headquarters in Norwalk, both reached The Just 100, published by Forbes magazine. Praxair, Inc., which ranked at #31 on the Just 100, is an industrial gas supplier in North and South America, with 26,000 employees in more than 50 countries.  It designs, engineers, manufactures and operates facilities that produce and distribute industrial gases. The North America segment operates production facilities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The Europe segment has production facilities primarily in Italy, Spain, Germany, the Benelux region, Scandinavia, and Russia which include approximately 60 cryogenic air separation plants. The company was founded in 1907.

At #54 is Xerox, which provides business process and document management solutions. It provides document technology, services, software and supplies for graphic communication and office printing environments of any size. Xerox, founded in 1906, operates through three segments: Services, Document Technology, and Other. The Services segment is comprised of business process outsourcing and document outsourcing. The Business process outsourcing provides multi-industry offerings such as customer care, transaction processing, finance and accounting, and human resources, as well as industry focused offerings in areas such as healthcare, transportation, financial services, retail and telecommunications.

“The most admired companies understand their responsibilities are twofold – deliver a premium return on assets and make a positive impact on society,” Xerox CEO Jeff Jacobson wrote in the company’s Global Citizenship Report. “The way we see it, we have a responsibility that goes beyond our primary, economic role to helping the people living in our communities to grow and thrive.”

The top 10 were Intel, Texas Instruments, NVIDIA, Microsoft, IBM, Accenture, Cisco Systems, Alphabet, Salesforce.com, and Symantec.

According to a survey of 72,000 Americans, being a “just” company means producing quality goods, treating customers well, minimizing environmental impact, supporting the communities businesses operate in, committing to ethical (and diverse) leadership, and above all, treating workers well, Forbes explained.

With these seven metrics in mind, Forbes — in partnership with Just Capital —analyzed nearly 1,000 of the nation’s largest publicly-traded companies to determine which have the best and most just business behavior.  The result is the Just 100 rankings, which will be featured in the December 26, 2017 issue of Forbes magazine.

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WRCH, WYBC, WEBE, WCTY Are Top-Rated Stations in CT's Local Radio Markets

The top-ranked radio stations in the Hartford-New Britain market area in November were WRCH-FM, WTIC-FM, and WHCN-FM (River 105.9), according to the latest Nielson Audiosurvey information. Grouped in a flat-footed tie for fourth are three stations:  WKSS-FM, WWYZ-FM and WZMX-FM. Public radio station WNPR-FM is next in the ratings, followed by WTIC-AM, the only AM station to break into the top ten.  The Hartford area is the 52^nd largest radio market in the U.S., with a population of 1,081,300.  It is the largest radio market in Connecticut.

Twenty years ago, in 1997, the ratings were also led by WRCH (Lite 100.5), but the runner-up that year was WTIC-AM.  The two stations jockeyed for the ratings lead for the next few years, with WTIC-AM taking a short-lived lead in 2001.  By 2015, WTIC-AM had fallen to eighth, as the dominance of FM stations grew. 

In the New Haven market, the top ranked station in the most recent ratings is WYBC-FM, Yale University’s Urban Adult Contemporary station, followed by WPLR-FM, WKCI-FM, and WEZN-FM.  WYBC has led the ratings race in the nation’s #121 ranked radio market for the past two years.  The population of the New Haven market is 430,300, according to the most recent ratings.

Greater Bridgeport is the #124 ranked market, with a population of 421,100, and its top-rated station is WEBE-FM, playing an adult contemporary format.  Next in the rations are WEZN-FM, WPLR-FM and WICC-AM.

In the Stamford-Norwalk radio market, the dominance of New York based stations is apparent, after Bridgeport’s WEBE-FM, which tops the local ratings.  The two top runners-up are WCBS-AM, New York City’s all-news station, and WHTZ-FM (Z100), with a contemporary hits format.  WEZN-FM, New York sports station WFAN and Urban Adult Contemporary WBLS-FM rank next.  Stamford-Norwalk is the 148^th ranked market in the Nielsen Audio reports, with a population of 323,400.

The New London market ratings are led by country station WCTY-FM, followed by WQGN-FM (Q105), WNLC-FM and WKNL-FM.  The market, ranked #178, has a population of 238,300.

According to the second-quarter 2017 Nielsen Total Audience Report, Americans spend 87 percent of their AM/FM radio listening tuning into their three favorite stations (based on the amount of time spent with each). Perhaps even more interesting is that 58 percent of all listening goes to just one station, the listener's favorite station.

Nationally, more than two-thirds of listening happens away from the home. According to the report, at least 65 percent of American adults listen to the radio away from the home between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. during weekdays. And consumption peaks at 75 percent outside of the home during the afternoon drive time, between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. during the week. 

CT is 5th Healthiest State in USA; MA Ranks 1st, New Data Shows

Connecticut is the fifth healthiest state in the nation, dropping from third a year ago, but remaining in the nation’s top 10, where it has been every year since 1993. Massachusetts, Hawaii, Vermont, Utah and Connecticut rank as the five healthiest states, while West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi rank the least healthy.

The United Health Foundation ranked America's states based on a variety of health factors, such as rates of infectious diseases, obesity, physical inactivity, smoking and infant mortality, as well as air pollution levels and the availability of health care providers. The survey has been conducted annually for 28 years.

America’s Health Rankings was built upon the World Health Organization definition of health:“Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

The model reflects that determinants of health directly influence health outcomes. A health outcomes category and four categories of health determinants are included in the model: behaviors, community & environment, policy and clinical care.

This is the first time Massachusetts has been named the healthiest state, ending Hawaii's five-year ranking at number one. Connecticut’s highest ranking was second, in both 2006 and 2008.

By category, Connecticut ranked fourth in Behaviors, fourth in Clinical Care, sixth in Policy, tenth in Health Outcomes and 15^th in Community & Environment.  Connecticut had the third lowest levels of infectious disease, fourth lowest prevalence of smoking and ninth lowest levels of obesity.

The Bay State won the honor in part due to having the lowest percentage of uninsured residents at just 2.7% of the population, plus a low prevalence of obesity and a high number of mental health providers.  Rhode Island moved from 14^th to 11^th; New York from 13^th to 10^th. 

This latest report shows that the nation's health overall is getting worse.  The nation's premature death rate -- the number of years of potential life lost before age 75 -- increased 3% since 2015.  That increase is driven in part by drug deaths, which increased 7% during that time, and cardiovascular deaths, which went up 2%.  Overall, the United States ranks 27th in terms of life expectancy in a comparison of 35 countries, according to the report. Long-term challenges remain — including infant mortality and low birthweight. Cardiovascular deaths and drug deaths also increased.

Connecticut’s strengths, according to the report, include the state’s low prevalence of smoking, low violent crime rate and low percentage of uninsured people.  The state’s greatest challenges include a high drug death rate, high levels of air pollution and a large disparity in health status by educational attainment.

The report also identified the following highlights:

• In the past year, primary care physicians increased 6%, from 197.8 to 209.4 per 100,000 population
• In the past two years, children in poverty increased 33%, from 12.3% to 16.3% of children
• In the past five years, cancer deaths decreased 3% ,from 179.0 to 173.7 deaths per 100,000 population
• In the past three years, drug deaths increased 67%, from 11.0 to 18.4 deaths per 100,000 population
• In the past five years, the percentage uninsured decreased 44%, from 9.9% to 5.5% of the population

Health and Safety Among Top Concerns in Choosing Childcare, Survey Finds

When choosing a childcare or preschool, many parents try to gather information to make their decision. Yet only 54 percent of parents were very confident that they could tell if a childcare option would be safe and healthy for their child, according to a new national survey.  Beyond that challenge, 2 out of 3 parents said it’s hard to find childcare options with the characteristics they want. In selecting a childcare or preschool, parents consider a variety of health, safety, educational, or practical factors. Overall, 62 percent of parents agreed that it’s hard to find childcare options with the characteristics they want. The C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health asked about these factors in a national sample of parents of children age 1-5 years who attend childcare or preschool.

Nearly half of parents reported their child currently attends preschool (48%), while the other half reported their child attends either a childcare center (25%) or in-home childcare (27%) for at least 5 hours per week.  Most parents (88%) felt that childcare centers and in-home childcare providers should have the same health and safety standards.  Parents selected up to 5 factors they would consider most important when choosing a childcare or preschool. The top 5 factors differed by the child’s current setting:

• Preschool: staff background checks (45%), active play every day (40%), doors locked (38%), staff have early childhood training (30%), and safe outdoor play area (30%)
• Childcare center: staff background checks (46%), staff have early childhood training (42%), doors locked (36%), cost (33%), and location/hours (32%)
• Home childcare: healthy foods served (28%), active play every day (28%), books/educational toys (27%), kitchen area cleaned (26%), and staff background checks (24%)

Connecticut’s Office of Early Childhood provides information on its website, including a “Child Care Checklist for Parents,” to assist in choosing a child daycare program. It suggests asking if the program is licensed, ensuring that unannounced visits are permitted, that there is adequate staff and that the program is safe.  The website also includes an “online lookup tool” to determine licensing status for family child care home providers, group child care homes, child care centers, family child care home staff-substitutes and assistants and youth camps.

A report published last month by Connecticut Voices for Children indicated that for more than a decade, Connecticut has made expanding early care and education programs and wrap-around supports a priority. The state has increased funding for early childhood programs for low-income families and communities,"making a real, sustained effort to build a strong infrastructure to support the early childhood system. Increased spending has increased both the availability and the quality of care."  Those efforts, the study found, "have begun to pay off in terms of both access and quality of care." 

The 39-page report indicated that: • Almost four in every five four-year-olds enroll in preschool. As of 2016, nearly 80% of four-year-olds were enrolled in preschool, an increase of six percentage points since 2005. • Disparities in preschool access have narrowed. The gap in preschool experience rates between the large urban districts and the wealthiest suburban districts has narrowed from 40 percent in 2003 to just 26 percent in 2016. • State programs are serving more infants and toddlers. Head Start and Child Day Care Centers have shifted to address more of the state’s need for infant and toddler care. Combined, they serve almost 80% more infants and toddlers in 2016 than in 2005.

The report stressed, however, that as of 2016, center-based infant/toddler care is affordable to only 25 percent of Connecticut families with a young child. Child care for two young children is affordable to only seven percent of such families.  The need for infant/toddler care "continues to vastly outstrip statewide capacity,"  and community wealth "continues to predict both preschool access and later test scores."

In the national poll, parents identified deal-breakers in selecting childcare – characteristics that would eliminate a preschool or childcare from their consideration. Over half said location in a sketchy area or a gun on the premises would be a deal-breaker; others were: non-staff adults on the premises, unvaccinated children allowed to attend, and having a staff person who smoked.

Some factors rated as most important by the Mott Poll parents may be reflected in the policies of the facility. These include whether staff undergo background checks prior to hiring, whether staff have early childhood certification or training, and whether child and staff members must be vaccinated. For many preschools and childcare centers, this type of information can be found on the facility’s website; it may be more difficult to find such information for in-home childcare providers, the poll analysis pointed out.