Building Bright Futures Regional Councils awards $100,000 in Vermont Early Childhood Fund grants to improve the well-being of children, families and communities
Building Bright Futures (BBF) announced seven recipients of grants from the Vermont Early Childhood Fund (VECF). Grantees will work with BBF Regional Councils to improve the well-being of children (prenatal–age 8) and families, as well as the Vermont communities in which they live. The new program awards grants of up to $20,000 each toward projects that promote fairness and equity by incorporating anti-racism and social justice practices. This grant program was made possible by a gift from a generous private donor.
The 2022 VECF grantees will carry out the following projects:
- The Southern Vermont Medical Center: Bennington County’s Children’s Integrated Services (CIS) Early Intervention Program will expand vision and hearing screening for eligible children (ages 0-3).
- The Addison Early Care and Learning Partnership will run a workforce and resilience building project providing hands-on experiences in creative and culinary arts to early care and learning professionals and the children and families they serve.
- The Franklin Grand Isle Community Action transportation project will help families get to services they need by addressing their transportation barriers.
- The ONE Arts Community School: Racial Justice within Early Education Consortium will illuminate and address racial bias in early educational spaces through educator practice, discussion, and development.
- Good Beginnings of Central Vermont will expand home visiting and perinatal support to families delivering at Central Vermont Medical Center.
- The Rutland County Parent Child Center (RCPCC) Early Childhood Education Mentorship Workforce Development Project will expand on-the-job training for interns and apprentices serving in the RCPCC Rutland and Brandon early education programs.
- The United Way of Lamoille County: Morrisville Step Up to Child Care is a new workforce development training program for participants to develop skills to pursue employment in the early childhood education field.
Learn more about these projects and the Vermont Early Childhood Fund.
