Looking back on fy25 & looking ahead for fy26

In FY25, Social Impact Partners played a central role in driving some of Connecticut’s most ambitious and impactful initiatives.

Through close collaboration with statewide and local partners, SIP provided the leadership, strategy and capacity-building support that helped make historic progress possible — from securing a landmark investment in early childhood education, to shaping a visionary investment strategy for the CSCU system, to launching innovative, employer-led healthcare training programs.

Across these three critical areas, SIP served as a catalyst, turning bold ideas into action and accelerating real change for thousands of Connecticut residents seeking pathways to financial security and economic opportunity.

Sector Focus Areas Accomplishments in FY25 (June ’24 – June ’25):

• Early Childhood Education (ECE):
  • Advised the Office of Early Childhood in developing the Governor’s Universal Preschool Endowment plan that aimed for a multi-year investment of over $800M to expand access to high-quality early care and education
  • Provided capacity building and strategic support for the passage of SB1, a historic $1 billion investment in ECE
  • Built cost model and provided support for Child Care for Connecticut’s initiative to increase legislative awareness of the critical need in our state for Infant & Toddler Care
  • Worked with five Early Childhood organizations to help them grow, enhance financial sustainability and invest in program quality and workforce

• Postsecondary Education:
  • Developed a strategic investment plan for CSCU system that may result in $100 million investment over the next two years
  • Led broad stakeholder engagement effort across 17 campuses, gathering feedback from over 600 students, faculty and staff
  • Collaborating with college leadership to enhance student enrollment, completion, and career outcomes by:
    • Developing a statewide early college program for high school students
    • Increasing student support and financial aid to double graduation rates
    • Doubling workforce training pathways and opportunities

• Workforce Development: 
  • Provided support for state-level job training initiatives such as Career ConneCT and Good Jobs Challenge which have trained and placed 6,000 people in jobs
  • Providing capacity building support for the expansion of job training programs with Career Resources, ReadyCT, Norwalk ACTS and Riba Aspira
  • Launching innovative health care job training programs with three significant healthcare employers throughout the state, including a successful pilot with Norwalk Hospital

Sector Focus Area Goals for FY26 (June ’25 – June ’26):

• Early Childhood Education (ECE): 
  • Efforts are actively underway to expand access to affordable, high-quality early childhood education throughout Connecticut. This work includes:

    • Strengthening child care providers through improved business models, operational support and professional development.

    • Prioritizing expansion in communities with limited access to early learning options.

    • Advising state agencies on sustainable funding mechanisms and strategic policy initiatives.

    • Collaborating with advocacy coalitions to modernize the early childhood system for long-term impact.

These initiatives support healthy child development and enhance workforce participation—particularly among women—by enabling greater access to reliable child care.

• Postsecondary Education:
  • Social Impact Partners is committed to supporting Connecticut’s public higher education system in preparing students for meaningful participation in today’s economy. Key areas of focus include:

    • Expanding dual enrollment opportunities that enable high school students to earn college credit, explore career pathways and obtain industry-recognized credentials.

    • Assisting community colleges in developing short-term, employer-aligned training programs.

    • Increasing college accessibility and success for students from low-income backgrounds.

This work aims to improve postsecondary completion rates and connect more students to well-paying, purpose-driven careers.

• Workforce Development:
  • A central priority is building equitable pathways to living-wage employment for underemployed and unemployed residents. This includes:

    • Partnering with employers—particularly in healthcare and other high-demand sectors—to co-design training and hiring pipelines tailored to labor market needs.

    • Delivering programs that integrate technical instruction, job readiness skills, and comprehensive support services.

    • Enhancing the structure, evaluation, and funding of workforce development systems across the state to ensure broader access to high-quality training.

Together, these strategies aim to increase economic mobility and workforce resilience across Connecticut.