SENATOR MAHER ISSUES STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERAL INVESTIGATION INTO PRIVATE EQUITY IN CHILD CARE

March 31, 2026

State Senator Ceci Maher (D-Wilton), Senate Chair of the Committee on Children, today issued the following statement in response to the announced federal investigation into child care center private equity ownership by U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR). Sen. Merkley, a ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, announced his office will investigate KinderCare Learning Companies and Learning Care Group, as well as their private equity owners, to better understand how private equity impacts child care. Merkley noted private equity’s “prioritizing investor profits over the well-being of the families and communities that depend on these services” draws direct concern regarding their conduct, with his office noting both KinderCare and Learning Care Group-owned facilities have been reported for health and safety violations in recent years.

“These concerns are extremely troubling and reinforce the need for Connecticut to take a close look at private equity ownership in childcare. We can’t accept profits-over-people in an industry we trust to care for our children and grandchildren, especially when quality early childcare is vital for setting the stage for development over a child’s lifetime. I look forward to leading the passage of Senate Bill 266 on the Senate floor in the next few weeks, as it prioritizes early childhood funding to independent providers over ones looking to profit off our youngest. I look forward to the results of Sen. Merkley’s investigation, but we know private equity’s playbook, and we can act now to prioritize our local communities.”