Vermont Business Magazine On Monday, Vermont’s State Advisory Council (SAC) formally endorsed the Policy Recommendations of the Vermont Early Childhood State Advisory Council Network for 2024. These recommendations represent the most pressing priorities and challenges identified by early childhood stakeholders and are part of the SAC’s state and federal charge to advise Vermont’s governor, administration, and legislature.
The recommendations seek to identify the current gaps and needs in policy, promote and monitor action in strategic areas for the coming year, and move Vermont toward a more equitable early childhood system.
As an additional resource for policymakers and the public, BBF also released a policy playbook explaining what the recommendations mean, why they matter, and how they can be put into action.
The SAC is Vermont’s governor-appointed, primary advisory body on the well-being of children from the prenatal period to age 8 and their families.
In addition to the SAC, the Vermont Early Childhood State Advisory Council Network includes seven Vermont’s Early Childhood Action Plan (VECAP) Committees and 12 Early Childhood Regional Councils. The SAC sets priorities and strategic direction for statewide initiatives using the VECAP and the most high-quality, up-to-date data. The Network is administered by Building Bright Futures (BBF), Vermont’s early childhood public-private partnership.
“I am proud of the work that the Network—including countless state leaders, parents and caregivers, early childhood professionals, regional partners, and others—put into developing and formally endorsing the 2024 Policy Recommendations,” BBF Executive Director Morgan Crossman said. “This year’s Policy Recommendations illustrate that while Vermont has made important progress for young children and their families, there are significant needs and gaps in the services and systems that ensure families have what they need to thrive. The BBF team looks forward to the work of supporting partners with understanding, implementing, and monitoring these recommendations.”
This year’s recommendations focus on a wide array of priorities for improving the well-being of young children and their families, strengthening the quality of the settings and services in which they spend their time, and supporting the early childhood professionals who serve them.
This year’s policy recommendations represent needs and emerging priorities from across the state’s early childhood system, including these highlights:
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Housing and Economic Security: Expand access to affordable housing, and provide high-quality care coordination to support families in accessing housing and related services.
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Paid Family and Medical Leave: Enact a Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance program for Vermonters seeking to take time off to care for a family member or themselves while welcoming a new child into the family, while navigating an illness or injury, or after experiencing a loss.
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Invest in Statewide Family Leadership Training Opportunities: Invest in statewide family leadership training opportunities to prepare and support parents and caregivers with serving on boards, commissions, etc.
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Mental Health: Invest in the mental health workforce and better integrate mental health care into primary care settings.
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Invest in Perinatal Supports: Invest in statewide strategies to support families during the perinatal period, including after experiencing the loss of a child or loss of a caregiver.
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Inequities in Data Collection: Respond to inequities in data collection and reporting in order to better represent and understand the intersectional experiences of people of color, children with disabilities, and other marginalized communities in Vermont.
The mission of Building Bright Futures (BBF) is to improve the well-being of each and every child and family in Vermont by using evidence to inform policy and bringing voices together to discuss critical challenges and problem-solve. Building Bright Futures (BBF) is Vermont’s early childhood public-private partnership, charged under Vermont Title 33 § Chapter 46 and the Federal Head Start Act (Public Law 110-134) as Vermont’s Early Childhood State Advisory Council (SAC), the mechanism used to advise the Governor and Legislature on the well-being of children in the prenatal period through age 8 and their families. BBF’s Network infrastructure includes 12 Regional Councils, seven VECAP Committees, and the State Advisory Council. BBF maintains the vision and strategic plan for Vermont’s Early Childhood System. Learn more at buildingbrightfutures.org.
Source: Oct. 25, 2023 (RUTLAND, Vt.)—Building Bright Futures
