Family Needs Assessment shows successes and barriers in accessing services including child care, mental health care and connection to resources
Vermont Business Magazine The newly released findings from a Building Bright Futures (BBF) survey give insights into how Vermont’s early childhood system is working well for families, and how the system can do better. From August through October 2022, BBF’s Families and Communities Committee led a survey called the 2022 Vermont Early Childhood Family Needs Assessment that drew responses from more than 600 caregivers of young children across all regions in Vermont. The survey specifically asked about services and supports for children from the prenatal period through age 8.
The goal of the survey was to better understand the experiences of families in order to inform policy and programs in Vermont’s early childhood system. It asked families about their experiences with accessing a range of services, including child care, early intervention services, healthy food, pediatric care and transitions between settings and services.
A report on the findings and policy considerations can be found on Vermont’s Early Childhood Data and Policy Center. The website also includes an executive summary, a plain-language summary designed to be accessible to those outside the early childhood data field and a series of appendices with details about the survey.
“This report gives an in-depth analysis of how well early childhood services are working for families and identifies opportunities for improvement,” said Building Bright Futures’ Executive Director Morgan Crossman. “It shares real-world examples of the challenges that families face, as well as what Vermont is doing well for families with young children. What makes this survey especially powerful is that it was led by the co-chairs of BBF’s Families and Communities Committee, Jenifer Fortman and Sarah Morrison, both of whom are parents of young children with close ties to their communities here in Vermont. BBF is committed to elevating the voices of Vermont families and supporting parents and families to lead in this important space.”
Overall, respondents reported having positive experiences with the services and supports they were asked about. For example, 71% of respondents agreed that their experiences with child care and early learning settings were overall positive, while 93% agreed their experiences were positive in medical care settings.
Survey participants suggested that several factors made their experiences either easier or more challenging when it came to accessing services and supports for their families:
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Helpful factors included relationships with staff and providers, communication, timeliness of services and nearby location of services.
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Frequently mentioned barriers included difficulty accessing a service or support due to availability or cost, and difficulty navigating the complex early childhood system.
The survey results highlight four considerations for policy, which can be read in full in the report:
1. Evaluate and align Vermont’s strategies to inform and connect families to resources.
2. Review national best practices to reduce administrative burden and promote equity of access to necessities (diapers, food, formula, etc.).
3. Support the implementation of clear guidance on the full scope of kindergarten transitions.
4. Pursue integration of mental health services throughout Vermont’s early childhood system to encourage ease of access for families with young children.
A virtual briefing on the report led by the Families and Communities Committee will be held in early May.
The Families and Communities Committee is one of the seven committees responsible for carrying out the Vermont Early Childhood Action Plan (VECAP), the strategic plan for achieving priorities for young children and families across the state. This survey was supported by the Building Bright Futures State Advisory Council Network and the Vermont Integration Prenatal to 3 (VIP-3) grant. It was conducted online as well as in paper format for greater accessibility. It is important to note that the survey only represents the experiences of a portion of Vermont families, and there may be limitations such as self-selection bias.
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. The Vermont Early Childhood Data and Policy Center is a nonpartisan, independent source of data, research, publications and important information for policymakers, stakeholders and the public on issues and priorities for children ages birth through age 8 in Vermont, operated by Building Bright Futures.
Source: April 13, 2023 (WILLISTON, Vt.)—Building Bright Futures
