Parent Child Centers (PCCs) are a critical part of Vermont’s system of care for young children and families. The 15 designated PCCs serve families throughout the state by offering a set of eight Core Services that promote healthy development, prevent maltreatment, and support family stability. These services are designed to be flexible and responsive, whether a family needs emergency financial assistance, parenting support, or help navigating complex benefit systems. The work that PCCs do to help families access basic safety net programs and services is becoming increasingly important as critical supports that have protected the most vulnerable families – those with noncitizen members, parents who have lost jobs or are underemployed, and those who are without stable or safe housing – are being reduced or are more difficult to access.

The Alliance supports the Vermont PCC Network’s request for a $1.88 million increase to the PCC Integrated Grant. This funding will ensure that PCCs have staff capacity to serve more families who need support; to expand clients’ access to concrete supports that address immediate needs and buffer young children from extreme hardship; and to implement statewide benefits navigation, to help families enroll in and maintain eligibility for federal programs such as 3SquaresVT, WIC, Medicaid and other health insurance, and affordable housing.

Lead Organization: Vermont Parent Child Center Network

Data and Talking Points

• In 2024 PCCs helped over 4,000 families with concrete supports that provided short-term and emergency assistance to pay for basic needs such as food, diapers, utilities, and housing

Result: Partial funding secured

Pre-session goal: Secure $1.88 million increase to the PCC Integrated Grant to support staff capacity, expand clients’ access to concrete supports, and to implement statewide benefits navigation.

The Governor’s Recommended FY27 Budget did not include any additional funding for the Parent Child Center Network (PCCN) Integrated Grant. The House Human Services Committee supported providing $180,000 in base funding to the PCCN for concrete supports, as well as funding for the Benefit Assisters navigation proposal. The House Appropriations Committee, however, included only one-time funding for the concrete supports, and no funding for the Benefit Assisters proposal.

The Senate concurred with the House proposals and added language indicating legislative intent to include PCCs in future inflation-related funding increases currently provided to other service provider networks. A compromise version of the language was agreed to during the Budget Conference Committee negotiations and was included in the Legislature’s FY27 Budget.

Funding for the Benefit Assistors proposal was considered in the Budget Conference Committee, and the Legislature’s final FY27 Budget included $3.5 million in one-time funding for grants to PCCs, Hunger Free VT, VT 211, and other agencies to assist people in navigating changes to the application processes for 3SquaresVT and Medicaid, which will help more eligible people stay enrolled in these important benefit programs and keep federal funds flowing to our state.

Resources

• VPCCN Legislative Ask