Connecticut RAPID Survey 1

Who Responded to the Survey?

May 2025

The Connecticut RAPID Survey # 1 received responses from 1,803 primary caregivers of young children under 6 years old. These families were recruited by 17 community-based organizations, including local early childhood collaboratives, regional educational service centers, cradle to career networks, and other local organizations serving Connecticut’s families with young children.

Our recruitment strategy aimed to elevate the voices of Connecticut’s lower-income families, who are often under-represented in statewide surveys. We recruited a diverse sample of parents from across the state. However, it is important to note that this is not a representative sample of all Connecticut families with young children.

Key Points:

• Families living in towns served by participating community-based organizations are over-represented in the survey sample.

• Families receiving services from or otherwise connected with these organizations are also over-represented.

• RAPID Survey 1 respondents have a lower median household income relative to families with young children statewide.

• Twelve percent (12%) of respondents speak primarily Spanish in the home.

• Twenty-two (22%) percent of respondents are non-dual parents (for example, a single parent or grandparent(s) caring for a child).

• Seventeen percent (17%) of respondents have at most a high school diploma as their highest level of education.

Families from Across Connecticut Responded to the Survey

RAPID Survey 1 respondents lived in 149 towns across Connecticut. The maps below show the percentage of RAPID Survey 1 respondents who live in each town in Connecticut, compared to the percentage of all families with young children in Connecticut who live in each town according to the 2020 Decennial Census.

Certain towns are over-represented in the survey sample due to the locations of the community-based organizations that recruited families to participate. Towns that are over-represented in the survey sample include Enfield, Bridgeport, Stamford, Danbury, Putnam, Bristol, Southington, Hamden, Killingly, West Hartford, Canaan, and Torrington. Towns that are under-represented include Greenwich, Norwalk, Meriden, New Britain, Fairfield, West Haven, Stratford, Milford, Shelton, Trumbull, Ridgefield, and Middletown. Notably, all of Fairfield County was under-represented with the exception of the cities of Bridgeport, Stamford, and Danbury, which were over-represented.

The Median Household Income of Survey Respondents was Lower than that of Families Statewide

Respondents’ median household income was $75,000. In comparison, the median household income for families with young children in Connecticut (estimated from the 2023 American Community Survey 1-year public use microdata) was $113,167 (± $8,061).

Comparing households of the same size, respondents’ median household income was lower than that of similar households statewide except among households with just two members (a single caregiver and a child).

Half of Survey Respondents Were Likely Eligible for Care 4 Kids Subsidies Based on their Reported Household Income

Median Household Income Varied Substantially Across Different Racial and Ethnic Groups Within the Sample

Median household income was:

• $88,200 for respondents identifying as White

• $36,400 for those identifying as Latino

• $68,400 for those identifying as Black or African American

• $75,000 for those identifying as another race or ethnicity (including Asian).

Survey Respondents Reflected Connecticut’s Racial and Ethnic Diversity

The overall distribution of survey respondents’ racial and ethnic identities closely matched those of families with young children across the state, as calculated from the 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year public use microdata.

• 55% of respondents identified as White alone (and not Hispanic/Latino), which was not significantly different from the estimated 53% of Connecticut’s families with young children.

• 22% of respondents identified as Hispanic or Latino (alone or in combination with any other race/ethnicity except Black), which was not significantly different from the statewide estimate of 21%.

• 17% of respondents identified as Black or African American (alone or in combination with any other race/ethnicity), which was not significantly different from the statewide estimate of 16%.

• 7% of respondents identified with another race/ethnicity category (including Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and multiracial), which was significantly lower than the statewide estimate of 10% from the ACS.

Other Characteristics of Survey Respondents: