Connecticut Child Care Workers Could See Big Raises Under New Program

Connecticut day care and preschool workers could get major pay increases under a new state-funded program announced Tuesday. Governor Ned Lamont said the initiative will provide free child care by 2027 for families making under $100,000. Funded by a $300 million endowment, the plan also aims to raise pay for early childhood educators to match public school teacher salaries. Critics argue the funding model is risky and may add pressure to the state’s long-term finances.

Ed Histed

Ed launched his radio career in 1975 and has spent more than five decades in the broadcasting industry. During that time, he has served in a wide range of roles including Air Personality, News Director, Sales Manager, Operations Manager, and General Manager at numerous radio stations in various markets across the country. Beyond on-air and management responsibilities, Ed has also worked extensively on the technical side of broadcasting. His background includes RF engineering and information technology, with particular experience configuring digital automation systems and remote voice-tracking platforms used by stations across the country. Ed was also among a select group of industry professionals invited by Google to its California headquarters following the company’s acquisition of Scott Studios. He was one of just 12 broadcasters nationwide chosen to participate in discussions and provide input during the design and rollout of Google’s digital broadcast automation platform. Although the majority of Ed’s career—spanning roughly four decades—was rooted in music radio, he transitioned into news and information programming in 2012. He says the move into spoken-word broadcasting was a natural evolution after decades of experience in multiple areas of the industry.