Connecticut Early Childhood Commissioner Beth Bye, a longtime champion for child care in the state, is stepping down.
Bye has led the agency that she helped create as a state senator for more than 6 years.
“My 25 years in elected and appointed office have been so rewarding, but I'm really ready to return to the children and families who inspired this work for me at the beginning,” Bye said on Thursday.
As commissioner, Bye championed the state’s new Early Childcare Endowment to help low-income families pay for pre-k.
“I think it was 1995, there's a picture of me in the Stanford Advocate with my one-year-old on my back with a sign asking for worthy wages,” Bye said. “The fight has been that long. And now in 2027, in Early Start programs, childcare workers will be paid on par.”
Bye said her new chapter will include working with children and families in health care.
“This fall, I'll begin a new chapter. Last night, I attended my first MSW class in infant and early childhood mental health. I'm really excited to work with children and families directly again,” Bye said.
Bye hasn’t just been an early childhood education trailblazer. She and her late wife, Dr. Tracey Wilson, were the state’s first same-sex couple to get married after Connecticut made it legal in 2008.
“Beth Bye is one of the most caring, compassionate, and energetic people that I know, and her passion for the development and wellness of the youngest members of our communities knows no bounds,” Gov. Ned Lamont (D) said. “Because of Beth’s advocacy and work in our administration, Connecticut is in the process of adding thousands of new early childhood education slots that will improve lives forever. I am so grateful that she has led this agency for these last several years, and I am confident that our early childhood system has made significant improvements because of her work.”
Lamont has appointed Deputy Commissioner Elena Trueworthy to serve as interim commissioner. He said he plans to nominate Trueworthy as a permanent replacement in February.
Once he does, the legislature will vote on whether or not to confirm her.
