Early Childhood Progress in Vermont

I spoke to a family with two young children who live in Vermont, and they were very pleased with the systematic changes happening there in child care. After reading through this AI overview of what's happening in Vermont, I thought it was worth sharing with you here.

AI Overview

Vermont has undertaken several significant child care initiatives in recent years, including Act 76, which established a payroll tax to fund child care and expanded eligibility for the Child Care Financial Assistance Program (CCFAP). These initiatives aim to increase access to affordable, quality child care for Vermont families and improve compensation for early childhood educators. 

Here's a more detailed look at some key Vermont child care initiatives:

Act 76 (Child Care Bill):

• Sustainable Funding:

  Act 76, passed in 2023, created a 0.44% payroll tax on Vermont employers to provide sustainable public funding for child care. 

• Expanded Eligibility for CCFAP:

  The bill expanded income eligibility for the Child Care Financial Assistance Program (CCFAP), making more families eligible for state aid to help with child care costs, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. 

• Increased Provider Reimbursement Rates:

  Act 76 also increased the reimbursement rates that child care providers receive for subsidized care, aiming to improve provider sustainability. 

• Support for Workforce:

  The legislation aims to increase employee salaries within the child care sector without increasing costs for families, says the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. 

Other Key Initiatives:

• STARS (STep Ahead Recognition System):

  Vermont's quality rating and improvement system for child care programs, encouraging providers to exceed basic licensing requirements and improve program quality, according to Vermont.gov. 

• Child Care Quality and Capacity Incentive Program:

  This program provides incentives for child care providers to improve quality ratings, increase capacity (especially for infants and toddlers), expand services in underserved areas, and offer care during non-standard hours, according to Vermont Department for Children and Families. 

• Let's Grow Kids:

  A statewide movement advocating for affordable, high-quality child care in Vermont, working towards the goal of ensuring access for all Vermont families by 2025. 

• Building Bright Futures:

  A state advisory council on early childhood that is working to reduce the cost of quality child care in Vermont and increase wages for child care workers. 

Overall Goals:

• Affordable Access:

  A primary goal of these initiatives is to make quality child care more affordable for Vermont families. 

• Quality Care:

  Initiatives also focus on improving the quality of care provided by child care programs, including through STARS and the Quality and Capacity Incentive Program. 

• Workforce Development:

  Efforts are being made to improve compensation and professional development opportunities for early childhood educators. 

These initiatives demonstrate a strong commitment from the state of Vermont to invest in its youngest citizens and the early childhood workforce. 

We need to highlight and replicate real-life examples of positive change in child care. The stability of our country depends on it. Click the button below to see how small actions can make great changes.

Community Change Action

Nanci J Bradley is an early childhood and family educator, author, teacher, family aerobics instructor, and all-around fun-loving person. She believes in the power of sleep, healthy eating, lifelong learning, and most of all, PLAY!  She studied early childhood ed at Triton College and received her BS in education in 1986 from NIU. She received her MA in human development from Pacific Oaks College in 2011. She lives and teaches in Madison WI and is the founder of early childhood rocks, a non-profit org dedicated to creating change through early childhood education.