EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS CAN SOON BEGIN ACCESSING NEW FINANCIAL HELP THROUGH ACCESS HEALTH CT

Eligible early childhood educators can receive the state subsidy when enrolling during the 2027 Open Enrollment Period

HARTFORD, Conn. (Sept. 28, 2026) –Access Health CT (AHCT), Connecticut’s official health insurance marketplace, announced that eligible early childhood educators in the state will have access to new financial help when enrolling in an insurance plan through AHCT for Plan Year 2027.

Eligible early childhood educators can apply for the subsidy, which is funded by the state of Connecticut, beginning with the 2027 Open Enrollment Period. Open Enrollment runs from Oct. 23, 2026, through Jan. 15, 2027.

Based on household income, the subsidy provides early childhood educators with an additional $1,000 to $1,200 per year of premium help when they enroll in either:

• An individual health insurance plan through AHCT;
• An employer’s small group plan through AHCT; or
• A CHOICE Arrangement, also known as an Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA), through their employer.

This is in addition to any other financial help the customer may be eligible to receive.

This help is available to Connecticut early childhood educators working at licensed child care centers, group child care homes or family child care homes.

Eligible customers must first create an account with the Connecticut Early Childhood Professional Registry at OECRegistry.org. During enrollment through AHCT, they will be asked whether they are an early childhood educator. If they qualify, the subsidy will be automatically paid to their insurance carrier each month.

“Over these last couple of years, we’ve enacted measures in Connecticut that are growing early childhood education programs at historic rates, and we want to encourage more workers to seek careers in this important profession,” said Governor Ned Lamont. “By creating this health care incentive, we can help get more people covered while also supporting educators and the growth of this critical workforce.”

“This initiative by Governor Lamont, the Connecticut General Assembly and the Office of Early Childhood is an important step in increasing access to health insurance and financial help,” said Access Health CT Chief Executive Officer James Michel. “We are pleased to partner on this subsidy and support early childhood education professionals across the state.”

This subsidy was approved by the Early Childhood Education Endowment Advisory Board.

The ECE Endowment Advisory Board is tri‑chaired by a member of the Connecticut Senate, a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives, and the Commissioner of the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood.

“The hardworking and dedicated staff who protect and nurture our children in their formative years deserve the best resources available to them,” said Senator Ceci Maher. “With this subsidy, more providers will be able to access the care they need to stay in good health and give the highest level of support for our young ones.”

“As a tri-chair of the Early Childhood Education Endowment Advisory Board, I’m proud of our work to expand access to affordable health coverage for early childhood educators,” said State Representative Kate Farrar (D-West Hartford/Newington). “This program will help ease the burden educators face in accessing health care while supporting the workforce that cares for Connecticut’s children and families every day. Investing in educators strengthens our early childhood system and helps ensure families have access to the care they need.”

“The Early Childhood Education Endowment has made it possible to establish a much-needed health insurance subsidy for early childhood educators in licensed child care settings, including child care centers, group child homes and family child care homes,” said Office of Early Childhood Commissioner Elena Trueworthy. “With this subsidy, early childhood staff can better afford the cost of health insurance so they get the health care they need. This subsidy is part of a multi-strategy approach to support workforce retention and well-being to support early childhood professionals to remain in their important career, caring for and educating our young children.”

AHCT can also help make offering health insurance more affordable for early childhood education employers.

Businesses, such as child care centers, can offer health insurance to their employees through AHCT and eligible employees will still be able to take advantage of the Early Childhood Educator Health Insurance Subsidy.

Eligible businesses, with 50 or fewer employees, can receive a tax credit of up to $1,000 per employee per year when they offer a CHOICE Arrangement through AHCT using the BusinessPlus platform. The credit is available for the first two consecutive years an employer offers a CHOICE Arrangement.