Vermont Business Magazine On October 24, Vermont’s State Advisory Council (SAC) formally endorsed the Policy Recommendations of the Vermont Early Childhood State Advisory Council Network for 2023. 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 the 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.
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 Early Childhood Action Plan (VECAP) Committees and 12 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, early childhood professionals, regional partners, and others—put into developing and formally endorsing the 2023 Policy Recommendations,” BBF Executive Director Morgan Crossman said. “We look forward to monitoring progress on implementing these recommendations as Vermont strives toward building the highest quality, most inclusive and equitable early childhood system possible.”
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. From better supporting the mental health workforce to promoting the value of care coordination, this year’s policy recommendations represent needs and emerging priorities from across the state’s early childhood system.
These priorities include investing in the current early childhood education workforce; providing commensurate compensation for families participating in engagement, leadership, or feedback opportunities; supporting families who are unhoused or experiencing housing transitions by investing in trauma-responsive shelters, transitional housing, transportation resources, and related staffing; and responding 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.
Oct. 25, 2022 (RUTLAND, Vt.)—Vermont’s State Advisory Council
