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 Leads

Vermont Child Care Providers Association

The Vermont Child Care Providers Association (VCCPA) is a statewide, not for profit association, providing peer support to Vermont's child care providers for more than 20 years. VCCPA represents providers and promotes professional connections by offering peer support, resource sharing, and serving as a liaison between the association members, organizations, and policy makers in the field of early care and education.

VCCPA is one of four lead organizations collaborating to increase state investment in the Child Care Financial Assistance Program (CCFAP), one of nine issues on the Alliance’s 2019 Legislative Agenda.

Investment in early care and learning was one of the few issues with tri-partisan agreement and commitment this year in the State House, and legislators and the Governor made a financial commitment to child care that represents one of the biggest increases in investment in the FY20 budget – $5.7 million in new base funding for CCFAP and $1 million in one-time funds for critical computer infrastructure updates needed to administer the program in future years. 

Let’s Grow Kids

Let’s Grow Kids is dedicated to ensuring affordable access to high-quality child care for all Vermont families by 2025. To achieve its mission, Let’s Grow Kids employs a four-pronged approach: strengthening early childhood education, building a movement, catalyzing policy change, and grounding its work through research.

Let’s Grow Kids works with partners throughout the state—including business, education and health care leaders, elected officials, and local communities—to build a high-quality child care system, and its network of over 30,000 supporters includes dedicated volunteers who advocate for increased public investment in child care so that it’s affordable for Vermont’s families and early educators.

Let’s Grow Kids worked in coalition with VCCPA and two others to advocate for increased state investment in CCFAP.

Additionally, Let’s Grow Kids collaborated with two other lead organizations advocating for increased investments in workforce development programs for early educators, another issue on the Alliance's 2019 Legislative Agenda.

 

Upcoming Fall Events

2019 Legislative Wrap-Ups

Building Bright Futures, Vermont Early Childhood Advocacy Alliance

This fall, Alliance Executive Director Matt Levin and Public Engagement Director Charlie Gliserman will continue to offer legislative wrap-up presentations at Building Bright Futures Regional Council meetings. Join us for a productive discussion about the Alliance’s 2019 Legislative Agenda and results.

  • Tuesday, September 10, 3:30 pm-5:30 pm, Lamoille Family Center
  • Friday, September 13, 9:00 am-11:00 am, Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice
  • Friday, September 13, 10:30 am-12:00 pm, Counseling Services of Addison County
  • Tuesday, September 17, 6:00 pm-8:00 pm, Rutland County Head Start
  • Friday, October 4, 2:00 pm, Champlain Valley Head Start

Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition and Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness Joint Annual Meeting (9/17)

Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition (VAHC), Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness (VCEH)

Tuesday, September 17, 9:30 am-2:00 pm, Vermont State House

This year’s VAHC-VCEH Joint Annual Meeting will run from 9:30 am-12:00 pm, followed by a networking lunch and the Annual Meeting of the VAHC and monthly meeting of the VCEH, both starting at 1:00 pm. It will tentatively include discussion of the Agency of Human Services specialized voucher work group, federal affairs, the Treasurer’s housing report, 2019 legislative priorities and successes, and 2020 state priorities.

For more information, visit the VAHC website.

Senator Leahy's 23rd Annual Women's Economic Opportunity Conference (10/19)

Office of Senator Leahy

Saturday, October 19, 8:00 am-3:00 pm, Vermont Technical College

Senator Leahy has proudly hosted the Women’s Economic Opportunity Conference (WEOC) since 1996.  Each year this highly anticipated event brings together hundreds of Vermont women for a full day of workshops and presentations on how to navigate workplaces, grow businesses, and succeed in a modern economy. This year’s array of workshops will appeal to a range of interests, promising to freshen your social media skills, jump start your career plans, or simply better manage your credit.

For more information and to register, visit Senator Leahy’s website.

47th Annual Early Childhood Conference and Retreat (10/25-27)

Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children (VtAEYC), Vermont Head Start Association, Bennington County Child Care Association, Windham Early Childhood Educators Co-Op

October 25-27, Mount Snow Grand Summit Resort and Conference Center

The 47th Annual Early Childhood Conference and Retreat is an opportunity for early childhood education and care professionals in the state to access workshops and networking opportunities to promote best practices. The event’s keynote speakers are Maurice Sykes (author, Doing the Right Thing for Children – Leadership), Dr. Rosemarie Allen (Cultural Competency and Implied Bias), and Camille Catlett (UNC, Inclusion of Each and Every Child).

For more information and to register, visit the VtAEYC website.

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

Lead Testing Results Announced, Upcoming Legislative Agenda Calls, and Meet the Leads

Strategic Partners, ECAP Summit, and Collective Impact

Issues in the News, Meet the Leads, and Collective Impact

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https://vecaa.org

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

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