More Vermonters have just become eligible for help covering the cost of child care. ABC 22's Lily Sakaniwa tells us about the child care tuition assistance program, and how many more families will benefit from a recent expansion of it.
Through Act 76, Vermont's new child care law, the state has gained over 1,000 new child care spaces, 39 new family child care homes, and it's helping to make access to quality early childhood education more affordable through it's child care tuition assistance program.
"We know that families struggle to pay the full cost of quality early care and education."
Janet McLaughlin, Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Children and Families, tells me that there are over 9,000 children in Vermont that are eligible for child care financial assistance. And with the recent expansion of the program's income eligibility, it could include thousands more.
"Even in the first 48 hours of implementation, we've approved 62 new families for child care financial assistance."
Let's Grow Kids CEO Aly Richards says that even though only being implemented a little over a year ago, Act 76 has brought growth to Vermont's child care sector.
"This expansion is absolutely going to have a positive impact on our economy. That many more kids are going to have access to affordable, quality child care. That really does a lot for equity."
This video was originally published by Local 22 & Local 44 on October 10, 2024.