The Alliance's weekly newsletter includes policy updates, legislative news, and events related to the Alliance's Legislative Agenda. Stay informed by checking the Alliance's Facebook page. To share early childhood advocacy news with the Alliance to be included in future updates, email Sarah Galbraith at sarah@vecaa.org

Meet the Alliance’s Strategic Partners

Last week’s newsletter introduced the Alliance’s Steering Committee, with 21 members representing the issues of health, safety, food security, economic security, and early care and education, as well as parents and businesses.  This week’s newsletter focuses on Strategic Partners, another important group within the Alliance coalition.

The Alliance’s Strategic Partners are agencies or departments of state government, advisory groups formed by state action, and funder entities that join the Alliance as non-dues-paying, non-voting members. Strategic Partners contribute to the shared goals and policy making efforts of the Alliance through information exchanges, cooperative monitoring of issues being deliberated by legislators, and discussions about policy development.

The Alliance currently has three Strategic Partners  Building Bright Futures State Advisory and Regional Councils, the Turrell Fund, and the Vermont Commission on Women.

Building Bright Futures (BBF) is Vermont’s early childhood public-private partnership established by law to monitor the state’s early care, health and education systems and to advise the Administration and Legislature on early childhood policy.

The Turrell Fund financially and strategically supports organizations which directly provide or foster the creation and delivery of quality developmental and educational services to at-risk children, especially the youngest, and their families.

The Vermont Commission on Women (VCW) is a non-partisan state agency advancing rights and opportunities for women and girls. Sixteen volunteer commissioners, along with representatives from organizations concerned with women's issues, guide VCW's public education, coalition building, and advocacy efforts.

Carolyn Wesley, Deputy Director of Building Bright Futures, says continuous communication within the Alliance’s Collective Impact framework supports their efforts.

"Continuous communication is a real strength of the Alliance. Many of the advocacy calls are co-hosted with other organizations, so that makes it really transparent that these entities are working together, creating the same message, and creating strategies together. At Building Bright Futures, we’ve appreciated that even our own issues were promoted and supported in your network, even beyond your agenda.”

To learn more about strategic partnerships or to become a Strategic Partner, visit the Alliance website.

 

Upcoming Events

Mark your calendar for an early childhood event near you! See information below and send details on early childhood events you’d like the Alliance to share by emailing Sarah Galbraith at sarah@vecaa.org.

BBF Early Childhood Action Plan Summit – 7/22

Building Bright Futures

Monday, July 22, 12:15 pm-4:00 pm, Vermont State House

Building Bright Futures (BBF) invites early childhood stakeholders from around the state to their Annual Early Childhood Action Plan (ECAP) Summit.

Join together with other ECAP committee members, State Advisory Council members, and regional and state stakeholders to inform priorities for the coming year and impact the process for updating the ECAP. 

Download the full agenda and RSVP by emailing kmobbs@buildingbrightfutures.org. Visit the BBF website to learn more about the ECAP

Early Childhood Educator's Summer Institute – 7/22 through 7/25

Castleton University

Monday, July 22 through Thursday, July 25, 8:30 am-4:30 pm, Castleton University Fine Arts Center

Castleton University offers a variety of hybrid courses designed to deepen practice, meet child care professional development requirements, and contribute to early childhood or elementary educator licensing competencies and/or renewal of educator licenses and endorsements. The focus of this course work is on serving children birth to grade three and their families.

For course descriptions, registration and more, go to Castleton University’s website.

47th Annual Early Childhood Conference and Retreat – 10/24 through 10/26

Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children

Thursday, October 24 through Saturday, October 26, Mount Snow Grand Summit Resort in West Dover

This conference will be hosted by four organizations offering the best professional development activities available. Join the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children (VtAEYC), Vermont Head Start Association, Bennington County Child Care Association, and Windham Early Childhood Educators Co-Op, plus countless other early childhood education and care professionals from across the state for workshops and networking opportunities. Conference workshop categories include Leadership, Cultural Competency, and Inclusion. The Alliance will be partnering with Let’s Grow Kids to offer a workshop Friday morning on advocacy in the context of early childhood professional development.

Find a complete description of the event on the VtAEYC website

Save the Date! – Early Childhood Day at the Legislature – 3/11/20

Vermont Early Childhood Advocacy Alliance

Wednesday, March 11, 2020, Capitol Plaza Hotel and Vermont State House in Montpelier

Mark your calendars for the 26th anniversary of Early Childhood Day at the Legislature (ECDL) on Wednesday March 11, 2020. Join advocates from around the state for a day of networking, education, and advocacy at the State House and the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Montpelier.

Stay tuned for more information; in the meantime, check out a recap with photos of ECDL 2019 on the Alliance website

 

Invite Legislators to Your Summer Events

This week marks the official start of summer and the season is a great time to connect with your legislator about early childhood. Invite them to lunch or to your program. Introduce yourself at a local parade or community event. Thank them for their work in supporting early childhood and families in Vermont!

You can find legislator contact information here.

Alliance Members Working Together – Join Us!

Early childhood organizations, professionals, providers, parents, and employers are working together to improve the lives of Vermont's young children, families and the early childhood workforce. As members of the Vermont Early Childhood Advocacy Alliance, these advocates are working to advance a shared early childhood Legislative Agenda using a Collective Impact organizational framework.

The Alliance's 2019 annual membership cycle is underway – renew your membership or join as an individual, organization, or business today

Check the Alliance website to see if you or your organization is a 2019 member.

The Vermont Early Childhood Advocacy Alliance is a statewide coalition formed in 2000 of early childhood professionals, parents, organizations, businesses, and strategic partners committed to improving public policies that impact young children between birth and age eight in the areas of health, safety, food security, economic security, and early care and education.

The Alliance crafts an annual Legislative Agenda in partnership with early childhood organizations, provides year-round advocacy support, and facilitates meaningful interactions with policymakers at key times during the decision making process.

RECENT NEWSLETTERS

Introducing the Alliance's Summer Intern, Advocacy Trainings, and STARS Feedback Sessions

2019 Legislative Agenda Results 

Introducing the Alliance's New Public Engagement Director

15 State Street | Montpelier , Vermont 05602

https://vecaa.org

The Vermont Early Childhood Advocacy Alliance is a program of the Vermont Community Loan Fund.

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