Sharing your thoughts or personal story with Vermont's elected officials is one of the most impactful ways you can make change. Elected officials want to know where their constituents stand on important issues and, by speaking up, you will ensure that our children are a priority.

Where do your elected officials stand on prioritizing children and committing to major new investments in high-quality, affordable child care? More than 80 legislators have provided us with statements about their position on early childhood. Are your state senators and state house representatives among them? Email your elected officials to let them know you care!

Be sure to ask your legislators to support the following 2020 policy asks: 

1. Support Vermont's early childhood education workforce by investing in the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship program, launching a student loan repayment assistance program for early educators, and creating a temporary wage support program for early educators.
2. Strengthen Vermont's Child Care Financial Assistance Program by aligning all reimbursement rates with the most current rate information and requiring that this adjustment happens automatically in the future.
3. Engage Vermont employers by working with executive branch agencies and private companies to establish collaborative initiatives to support and strengthen Vermont's early care and learning system.

Here are a few reasons to invest in high-quality child care that could be used to support your case:

• The first five years, when the brain is developing most rapidly, provide the best opportunity to help children build a strong foundation for all future learning and development. Giving every Vermont child access to high-quality early care and learning experiences prepares them for success in school, work and life.
• Most families rely on two incomes to make ends meet. In a recent statewide survey, 4 out of 5 families reported needing child care on a regular basis.
• Stable, high-quality child care enables parents to make the best choices for their families and careers. It also allows working parents to retain their jobs and be productive at work—which benefits VT businesses.
• Expanding Vermont's early childhood system would yield a return of $3.08 for every $1 invested, which would accrue to $1.3 billion over the working lifetime (65 years) of the children served. Benefits include increased lifetime earnings and associated tax revenues of parents and the children served, in addition to savings in social welfare, special education, health care, crime and substance abuse costs.
• Vermont doesn't work without child care. If we want to attract new young families to live and work in Vermont, affordable access to high-quality child care is key.
• For more data points, check out our 2020 Stalled at the Start report and our 2020 Early Childhood Education Workforce report.

If you're an elected official who would like to contribute or edit your statement, please contact our content manager.