Transform Child Care
Vermont has never been closer to achieving an equitable, affordable, quality early childhood education system, but things have also never been harder for families or for Vermont’s early childhood education work force. Across Vermont, programs are desperate to attract and retain early childhood educators in order to remain open, and families cite lack of child care as a key barrier to returning to work. Those families who do have access to child care often still struggle to afford it, and early childhood educators continue to be underpaid and undervalued.
The Alliance supports the work of Let’s Grow Kids and Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children to address these needs by continuing on the path laid by last year’s child care bill, H.171, and responding to Vermont’s urgent child care workforce crisis.
LEAD ORGANIZATIONS: Let’s Grow Kids and Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children
Data and Talking Points
- The median income of a child care worker in Vermont is only $27,600 – often without benefits. This is less than what Vermont’s own Joint Fiscal Office says is a livable wage.
- Families are struggling to pay for child care. Middle-income families with two parents and two young children are spending as much as 30% of their income on child care, even with financial assistance from the state.
- Every $1 dollar invested in strengthening Vermont’s early childhood education system generates around $3 in the Vermont economy.
Resources and Advocacy Tools
Get Involved
- Sign on to Let’s Grow Kids’ three-year plan to show your support for prioritizing children and increasing public investments in high-quality, affordable child care to ensure every Vermont child has a strong start.
- Sign up to join the Let’s Grow Kids Action Network.