NORWALK, CT (June 20, 2026) — The Connecticut Office of Early Childhood has no written record that it ever notified the Capitol Region Education Council of violations documented at a Norwalk day care facility during a pandemic-era child care program, appearing to contradict an earlier statement from the agency’s Director of Licensing that CREC had been notified.
The discrepancy emerged in a new set of responses from OEC to follow-up questions submitted by Talk of the Sound regarding Robert Rubicco, operator of Anna & Jack’s Treehouse at 770 Connecticut Ave. in Norwalk, and his facility’s participation in Project 26, the emergency child care program funded by a $3 million gift from Dalio Philanthropies and administered by CREC under OEC’s direction during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Asked on what date OEC notified CREC of violations documented during unannounced inspections in May 2020, OEC responded: “OEC has no record of written notification.” Asked whether CREC acknowledged receipt of any such notification, OEC responded: “OEC has no record of such acknowledgement.”
Liz Proietti, Director of the Division of Licensing at OEC, told Talk of the Sound that OEC had notified CREC of the violations. Talk of the Sound has asked OEC to clarify the discrepancy. This article will be updated with any response.
Background Check Predated Project 26 by a Year
OEC also clarified the timing of its review of Rubicco’s criminal history. In an earlier response, OEC said it had determined Rubicco was not ineligible for child care employment based on a background check, without specifying when that determination was made.
The new response states that “Mr. Rubicco’s background check was completed as part of the licensing of Anna & Jack’s Treehouse in 2019” — a year before Project 26 began. OEC did not conduct a separate criminal history review specific to his facility’s approval as a Project 26 provider in 2020; the program relied on the existing 2019 licensing determination.
OEC described its general review process: a trained staff member reviews data generated from fingerprint submissions and determines whether an individual has a conviction that may be disqualifying. Federal law prohibits OEC from disclosing underlying criminal history information beyond an eligibility determination, the agency said, citing Connecticut General Statutes §§ 10-530, 19a-80, 19a-87b, and 17b-749k, along with 45 CFR § 98.43.
The Removed Violation, Explained
For the first time, OEC explained the basis for removing a health screening violation that had been documented during a May 20, 2020 follow-up inspection at Anna & Jack’s Treehouse.
According to OEC, the violation was originally cited because the program failed to screen the OEC licensing specialist’s temperature upon her arrival — not because staff failed to screen children. “While it may have been reasonable to check the temperature of anyone entering the building, the requirement only covered staff and children,” OEC said. The licensing specialist who conducted the inspection removed the violation, and the division director at the time approved the decision. OEC said a record of the decision exists in email form. Talk of the Sound has requested a copy of that email.
No Conditions Were Placed on Continued Payments
OEC confirmed that no conditions were placed on continued Project 26 payments to Anna & Jack’s Treehouse following the May 2020 violations. Payments continued, and the facility was later included in a continuation of Project 26 that ran through July 31, 2020.
OEC Does Not Review Financial History, Even for Pandemic Funding Programs
Asked directly whether OEC reviews an operator’s financial history, credit history, or outstanding civil judgments as part of its licensing process, OEC responded: “No, not generally but if we are aware of civil judgments that may be taken into consideration.” Asked whether such a review occurs specifically when approving providers for programs such as Project 26, which distributed millions of dollars in philanthropic and state funds, OEC responded simply: “No.”
May 2020 Violations Confirmed Absent From Consent Order Case File
OEC reiterated that the May 2020 inspection reports were not included in the case file that led to Rubicco’s December 2021 consent order. OEC said its general practice is to review a program’s inspection and investigation history to identify “a recent pattern of non-compliance” when determining whether to pursue regulatory action, but confirmed that review did not include the May 2020 violations in Rubicco’s case.
Background
Rubicco’s criminal history includes a 2002 guilty plea to petit larceny and criminal mischief, a 2010 guilty plea to witness tampering, and a 2011 federal conviction for accessing a computer without authorization. He was sentenced to home detention with call verification, later upgraded to home detention with electronic monitoring after a probation violation. According to court records, Rubicco continued to violate the terms of his probation by consuming alcohol and cocaine, failing to pay full restitution, and failing to complete community service. In September 2013, he left the state of New York without permission from his probation officer, got drunk in a hotel bar in Boston, and called his probation officer to confess the violation. As a result of his repeated probation violations, a federal judge sentenced him to three weeks in federal prison in January 2014. He completed his federal sentence in February 2014 and satisfied his restitution obligation in October 2017. The period of post-conviction violations overlap with Rubicco applying for and receiving an OCFS license to operate a child care facility out of his home including when he was confined under court-ordered electronic monitoring (ankle monitor) and using illegal narcotics.
In December 2021, Rubicco signed a consent order with OEC admitting to more than two dozen violations at Anna & Jack’s Treehouse Norwalk, including knowingly making false statements to state investigators and unsafe infant sleep practices. He paid a $2,000 civil penalty. He subsequently violated the conditions of the consent order in 2022 and 2023. He sold the facility to Cadence Academy Preschool in August 2024.
Talk of the Sound has continued to seek comment from Dalio Philanthropies, which did not respond to questions submitted in May 2026 regarding its awareness of the violations and its oversight of the program it funded.
Irish solicitors acting on Rubicco’s behalf have previously demanded removal of Talk of the Sound’s coverage. Talk of the Sound has declined.
This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.
Have information about this story? Email robertcox@talkofthesound.com (preferred) or contact via WhatsApp: +353 089 972 0669.
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