Early Childhood Education Advocacy Workgroup Meeting (09/22/23)
The Early Childhood Education Advocacy Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities September 22, 2023 Meeting Minutes Advocacy Workgroup North…
Upper Valley employers and families both name access to high-quality, affordable childcare as one of the key barriers to prosperity in our region, especially for low- and moderate-income families. Following a two-session symposium on this issue in November 2021, Vital Communities and an Early Childhood Education (formerly Early Care & Education) Steering Committee are devising longer-term initiatives and working groups. Early Childhood Education is one of the ongoing topics of focus for the Vital Communities Corporate Council.
If you would like to learn more or get involved, email ahubbard@vitalcommunities.org.
Want to stay informed about Upper Valley childcare issues?
Early Childhood Education Steering Committee
The goal of the Early Childhood Education Initiative is to increase the availability and affordability of high-quality early care and education in the Upper Valley. Consider joining one of two working groups investigating solutions to this complex issue that touches so many aspects of our life in the Upper Valley. Contact Anna Hubbard at ahubbard@vitalcommunities.org
Advocacy
Goal – Advocate for policies and investments to support the increase of high-quality, accessible, and affordable early childhood education in the bi-state Upper Valley by growing a grassroots advocacy campaign, engaging a broad range of stakeholders, and identifying sustainable childcare business models to improve the economic vitality of the region.
Workforce and Program Models
Goals – Identify, influence, and elevate strategies that promote bi-state sustainability and expansion of existing early education providers by supporting the retention and recruitment of early childhood educators and promoting fair compensation and benefits.
Identify, develop, and support strategies and models to reduce financial barriers such as operational costs, tax breaks, zoning requirements, etc. Connect early childhood educators to the networks providing business-related technical assistance and capital access to optimize their business operations, lower operation costs, and increase their capacity. Identify and support opportunities for cooperative procurement of services.
Past ECE Committee Meetings
The Early Childhood Education Advocacy Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities September 22, 2023 Meeting Minutes Advocacy Workgroup North…
The Early Childhood Education Workforce and Program Models Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities September 11, 2023 Meeting Minutes…
The Early Childhood Education Advocacy Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities September 8, 2023 Meeting Minutes Advocacy Workgroup North…
The Early Childhood Education Advocacy Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities August 25, 2023 Meeting Minutes Advocacy Workgroup North…
The Early Childhood Education Workforce & Program Models Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities August 14, 2023 Meeting Minutes…
The Early Childhood Education Advocacy Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities August 11, 2023 Meeting Minutes Advocacy Workgroup North…
The Early Childhood Education Advocacy Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities July 28, 2023 Meeting Minutes Advocacy Workgroup North…
The Early Childhood Education Workforce & Program Models Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities July 31, 2023 Meeting Minutes…
The Early Childhood Education Workforce & Program Models Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities July 17, 2023 Meeting Minutes…
The Early Childhood Education Workforce & Program Models Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities June 19, 2023 Meeting Minutes…
The Early Childhood Education Advocacy Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities June 9, 2023 Meeting Minutes Advocacy Workgroup North…
The Early Childhood Education Workforce & Program Models Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities June 5, 2023 Meeting Minutes…
The Early Childhood Education Advocacy Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities May 26, 2023 Meeting Minutes Advocacy Workgroup North…
The Early Childhood Education Workforce & Program Models Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities May 22, 2023 Meeting Minutes…
The Early Childhood Education Advocacy Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities May 12, 2023 Meeting Minutes Advocacy Workgroup North…
The Early Childhood Education Workforce & Program Models Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities May 8, 2023 Meeting Minutes…
The Early Childhood Education Advocacy Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities April 28, 2023 Meeting Minutes Advocacy Workgroup North…
The Early Childhood Education Workforce & Program Models Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities April 24, 2023 Meeting Minutes…
The Early Childhood Education Workforce & Program Models Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities April 10, 2023 Meeting Minutes …
The Early Childhood Education Workforce & Program Models Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities March 27, 2023 Meeting Minutes …
The Early Childhood Education Advocacy Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities March 24, 2023 Meeting Minutes Advocacy Workgroup North…
The Early Childhood Education Workforce & Programs Models Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities March 13, 2023 Meeting Minutes …
The Early Childhood Education Advocacy Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities March 10, 2023 Meeting Minutes Advocacy Workgroup North…
The Early Childhood Education Workforce & Program Models Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities February 27, 2023 Meeting Minutes…
The Early Childhood Education Workforce-Models Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities February 13, 2023 Meeting Minutes Staff Retention and…
The Early Childhood Education Advocacy Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities February 10, 2023 Meeting Minutes Advocacy Workgroup North…
The Early Childhood Education Advocacy Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities January 27, 2023 Meeting Minutes Advocacy Workgroup North…
The Childcare Advocacy Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities January 13, 2023 Meeting Minutes Advocacy Workgroup North Star: Advocate…
The Workforce and Program Models Workgroup – The combined Facilities and Program Models and Staff Retention and Recruitment Workgroups Early…
The Childcare Advocacy Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities December 9, 2022 Meeting Minutes Advocacy Workgroup North Star: Advocate…
The Childcare Advocacy Workgroup Early Childhood Education Initiative, Vital Communities December 2, 2022 Meeting Minutes Advocacy Workgroup North Star: Advocate…
The Workforce and Program Models Workgroup – The combined Facilities and Program Models and Staff Retention and Recruitment Workgroups Early…
The Workforce and Program Models Workgroup – The combined Facilities and Program Models and Staff Retention and Recruitment Workgroups Early…
The Childcare Staff Retention Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities November 7, 2022 Meeting Minutes Workgroup Goal: Identify…
The Facilities and Program Models Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities November 2, 2022 Meeting Minutes Workgroup’s Goal:…
The Childcare Advocacy Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities October 28, 2022 Meeting Minutes Workgroup’s Goal: Create an…
The Childcare Staff Retention Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities October 24, 2022 Meeting Minutes Workgroup Goal: Identify…
The Facilities and Program Models Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities October 17, 2022 Meeting Minutes Workgroup’s Goal:…
The Childcare Staff Retention Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities October 17, 2022 Meeting Minutes Workgroup Goal: Identify…
The Childcare Advocacy Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities October 14, 2022 Workgroup’s Goal: Create an exchange of…
The Facilities and Program Models Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities October 5, 2022 Meeting Minutes Workgroup’s Goal:…
The Childcare Staff Retention Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities September 26, 2022 Meeting Minutes Workgroup Goal: Identify…
The Facilities and Program Models Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities September 19, 2022 Meeting Minutes Workgroup’s Goal:…
The Childcare Advocacy Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities September 9, 2022 Workgroup’s Goal: Create an exchange of…
The Childcare Advocacy Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities September 23, 2022 Meeting Minutes Workgroup’s Goal: Create an…
The Childcare Advocacy Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities August 26, 2022 Meeting Minutes Workgroup’s Goal: Create an…
The Childcare Staff Retention Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities August 15, 2022 Meeting Minutes Workgroup Goal: Identify…
The Facilities and Program Models Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities August 15, 2022 Meeting Minutes Workgroup’s Goal:…
The Childcare Advocacy Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities June 24, 2022 Workgroup’s Goal: Create an exchange of…
The Childcare Advocacy Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities June 10, 2022 Workgroup’s Goal: Create an exchange of…
The Childcare Staff Retention Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities June 6, 2022 Workgroup Goal: Identify and catalyze…
The Childcare Advocacy Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities May 27, 2022 Workgroup’s Goal: Create an exchange of…
The Childcare Staff Retention Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities May 23, 2022 Workgroup Goal: Identify and catalyze…
The Facilities and Program Models Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities May 16, 2022 Workgroup’s Goal: Identify and…
The Childcare Advocacy Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities May 13, 2022 Workgroup’s Goal: Create an exchange of…
The Facilities and Program Models Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities May 5, 2022 Workgroup’s Goal: Identify and…
The Childcare Staff Retention Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities April 25, 2022 Workgroup Goal: Identify and catalyze…
The Facilities and Program Models Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities April 18th, 2022 Workgroup’s Goal: Identify and…
The Childcare Staff Retention Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities April 11, 2022 Workgroup Goal: Identify and catalyze…
The Childcare Advocacy Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities March 25th, 2022 Workgroup’s Goal: Create an exchange of…
The Facilities and Program Models Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities March 21st, 2022 Workgroup’s Goal: Identify and…
Staff Recruitment & Retention Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities March 14th, 2022 Workgroup’s Goal: Identify and catalyze…
The Childcare Advocacy Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities March 11th, 2022 Workgroup’s Goal: Create an exchange of…
The Childcare Advocacy Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities February 25th, 2022 Workgroup’s Goal: Create an exchange of…
Facilities and Program Models Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities February 22nd, 2022 Workgroup’s Goal: Identify and catalyze…
Staff Retention & Recruitment Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities Workgroup Goal: Identify and catalyze short- and long-term…
The Childcare Advocacy Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities February 11, 2022 Workgroup’s Goal: Create an exchange of…
Facilities and Program Models Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities February 7, 2022 Workgroup Goal: Identify and catalyze…
Staff Retention & Recruitment Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities January 25, 2022 Workgroup goal: Identify and catalyze…
The Childcare Advocacy Workgroup Early Care & Education Initiative, Vital Communities January 25, 2022, at 1:30 pm Workgroup’s Goal: Create…
The Facilities and Program Models Workgroup Early Care & Education January 20 at 1:30 pm Goal: Identify and catalyze strategies…
Welcome to a resource page for Childcare In the Upper Valley: Challenges, Successes, and the Way Forward Session 2: What…
Welcome to a resource page for Childcare In the Upper Valley: Challenges, Successes, and the Way Forward Upper Valley employers…
This bi-weekly email compiles updates from bi-state, Upper Valley communities into one, easy-to-read email. These news briefs, events, and action items all relate to increasing access to high-quality and affordable early childhood education in our communities.
Other News about the ECE Initiative
Collaborative Progress on Early Childhood Education in 2023 For 21 years, Tammie Hazlett has been centering family, community, and play…
Twelve Upper Valley schools and early childcare centers were awarded mini-grants to support Farm to School projects this year! These…
Engaging businesses can help a region meet its needs in early childhood education (ECE), according to a May 10 presentation…
April 1 to 7, let early childhood educators know how much you appreciate what they do for our children and…
Even if you and your family don’t rely on early childhood education and childcare, you’re probably aware of the current…
The news is full of reports of how hard the pandemic has been on schools, teachers, and students. One antidote…
In honor of the Week of the Young Child, April 2-8, communities all over the country are celebrating the Early…
Free and virtual – Register below to receive Zoom link Upper Valley employers and families both name access to high-quality,…
Let’s Grow Kids (LGK): Anti-Racism
We commit our organization, our movement, and ourselves to being anti-racist in all aspects of our work, to use our platform to raise Black voices, and to create an equitable early childhood education system that advances racial justice for the next generation of Vermonters. We commit to listen actively, to learn openly, and to examine and question our privilege and tolerance of systemic racism, in order to disrupt structures of oppression.
Let’s Grow Kids (LGK): COVID-19
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Let’s Grow Kids has been working with partners and policymakers to respond to the needs of kids, families, and early educators during this ongoing crisis. This webpage compiles information and resources for Vermont’s children and families, early educators, employers, and communities and is updated regularly.
Early Care & Education Association (ECEA): Finding Childcare in the Upper Valley
We know times are tough when it comes to finding available childcare. You can use our Childcare Locator Tool below to see what it nearby. Remember to check both states, there may be openings on the other side of the river!
Requirements to receive up to $2,000 Child Tax Credit in 2023
Over the past few years, much has been made of the Child Tax Credit, and in 2023 we will see it continue at the same level offered before the expansion of the credit passed through the American Rescue Plan.
New Hampshire Child Care Scholarship is available to income eligible families. Check out this resource to see if you’re eligible to apply.
Early Learning New Hampshire (ELNH)
ELNH is committed to ensuring that all New Hampshire children have the opportunity to reach their full potential by:
Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children (VTAEYC)
VTAEYC advances equity and excellence in early childhood education with early childhood educators as our foundation. As a membership organization, we provide resources and advocate for policies that move early childhood education forward now and for the future. They offer career information; career supports; scholarships, grants, and bonuses; and events, recognitions, and awards.
Let’s Grow Kids (LGK): Early Childhood Educator Resources
LGK works with child care programs and community partners throughout Vermont to create new opportunities for child care leaders to share best practices in early education as well as program administration such as purchasing, bookkeeping, billing and waitlist management.
Let’s Grow Kids (LGK): COVID-19
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Let’s Grow Kids has been working with partners and policymakers to respond to the needs of kids, families, and early educators during this ongoing crisis. This webpage compiles information and resources for Vermont’s children and families, early educators, employers, and communities and is updated regularly.
Early Care & Education Association (ECEA): Career Cultivator
Career Cultivator is an innovative, in-person approach to becoming a qualified early educator! Get trained by experienced mentors, hands-on experiences in the classroom, and gain all of the qualification you need to start your early childhood career.
Early Childhood Education Terms and What They Mean
Terms related to Early Care and Education that may be helpful to understand.
Let’s Grow Kids Action Network
Your one-stop-shop for tools and resources to become a champion for Vermont’s children. We regularly update this page so be sure to bookmark it to stay up to date on our most important actions!
MomsRising Early Care and Education Campaign
All families should have access to affordable, high-quality early care and education opportunities that are welcoming and inclusive of all self-defined families, provide for a well-trained and compensated workforce, and create environments where all children can thrive so that all children are ready and successful for school and life regardless of race, ZIP code, ability, identity, or any other factor.
Farm to Early Childhood in New England: New Report Outlines Current Landscape and Opportunities
This illustrated and interactive overview of the farm to early childhood space across the six New England states was designed to help regional interest holders better understand the early childhood sector and to identify the key opportunities for expanding farm to early childhood activity across the six New England states.
$122 Billion: The Growing, Annual Cost of the Infant-Toddler Child Care Crisis
ReadyNation’s updated study finds that the nation’s infant-toddler child care crisis now costs $122 billion in lost earnings, productivity, and revenue every year. This staggering economic toll impacts working parents, their employers, and the nation’s taxpayers. Our 2018 study found that the crisis was already severely damaging the pre-pandemic economy, exacting a cost of $57 billion annually. A combination of COVID-19 and insufficient policy action have now significantly worsened the crisis.
The Childcare Crisis in New Hampshire and Attendance vs Enrollment Based Scholarships
In this YouTube video, MomsRising explains a small segment of the issue and explain how a simple policy solution – the change from attendance based scholarships to enrollment based scholarships – can help ensure that New Hampshire families do not continue to fall through the cracks. Families can’t work without childcare and childcare providers need adequate support to keep their doors open.
Why Interstate Child Care Scholarship Policy Choices Matter in the Upper Valley
This brief explores how state-level decisions manifest in the child care sector, contextualizing findings within the specific context of the Upper Valley as an interstate region.
Child Care Investments and Policies in the Upper Valley, in the Pandemic and Beyond
This brief explores the pandemic era decisions and investments each state made to support the early education and care sector and describes some of the challenges ahead for the field.
Changing Child Care Supply in New Hampshire and Vermont’s Upper Valley
In this brief, we describe the early childhood education and care landscape of Grafton and Sullivan Counties in New Hampshire and Orange and Windsor Counties in Vermont, contextualizing those findings with comparisons to data from the pre-pandemic period of 2017.
Childcare Benefits for Employers
Are you struggling with recruitment, retention, or productivity of your workforce because of child care challenges? Are you concerned about Vermont’s economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic? We are here to help! We created this Child Care Benefits Resource Guide in partnership with Adaptiva HR to help businesses who are ready to support the child care needs of their employees but need a roadmap of the process to get started.
How Companies Can Holistically Support Working Parents
As part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Childcare Roadmap for Employers event, two employees of Better Communities Collaborative (BCC) discuss how leadership can implement flexible organizational policies to better support working parents.
Rural Employees Still Left Out in the Cold When It Comes to Childcare Benefits
The reality is that most Americans live in communities that don’t offer quality, affordable childcare.
Childcare deserts are an enormous problem. Many parents can’t find childcare on short notice, and others have to travel several miles to drop off their kids — or pay more than they can afford. This means there simply aren’t enough childcare options for working families — and the result is more parents dropping out of the workforce, or struggling to balance working full-time and raising young children.
Simple Steps Every Employer Can Take
Helpful information and parent-friendly policies can have a big impact. Here are some simple steps you can take.
Project Manager, Early Childhood Education, Food & Farm (she/they)
Since earning a BS in Environmental Science from Colby-Sawyer College, Anna has spent the past few years applying systems-based thinking…
Early Childhood Education Consultant
In August 2022, Joanne joined Vital Communities as a consultant for the Early Childhood Education Initiative. She is currently the…