On Oct. 23, the State Advisory Council (SAC) formally endorsed the Policy Recommendations of the Vermont Early Childhood State Advisory Council Network for 2024! These recommendations represent the most pressing and actionable priorities for early childhood stakeholders throughout the Building Bright Futures Network. We also released a new Policy Playbook explaining what the recommendations mean, […]
“The feel-good is great, but the real feel-good is doing something that lasts longer than the duration of this grant funding.” That is what Alex Beck, Welcoming Communities Manager for the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC), told me toward the end of our conversation about BDCC’s successful 2023 pilot program to train New Vermonters in […]
“Data and equity have to lead to some sort of action that leads to a better outcome.” —Iheoma U. Iruka, Ph.D., during the Vermont Early Childhood Grand Rounds Seminar On Sept. 13, 2023, Building Bright Futures Executive Director Dr. Morgan Crossman moderated the inaugural Vermont Early Childhood Grand Rounds Seminar, a new series hosted by […]
The Vermont Early Childhood Fund (VECF) supports creative solutions that will improve the well-being of children from the prenatal period to age 8, their families, and the Vermont communities where they live. In late 2022, Vermont was awarded a $23 million federal grant to strengthen the state’s early childhood system, support the early childhood workforce, and […]
News from the Network is an email series from Building Bright Futures that spotlights the work of Regional Councils, updates related to early childhood data, emerging priorities from VECAP Committees, and more. This update gives a closer look at BBF’s work across the state of Vermont to improve the well-being of young children and families. […]
BBF is excited to introduce two new team members: Jenn Schollmeyer and Kitty Foster. These new hires come as we ramp up our activities under “Vermont Integration Project: Building Integration in Vermont’s B-5 Early Childhood Systems (VIP B-5),” the three-year, $23 million federal Preschool Development Grant (PDG) awarded to Vermont at the start of this […]
We at Building Bright Futures are heartbroken to see our brave little state so impacted by the historic flooding this month. BBF staff work and live statewide, from Cavendish to Westmore, and are grateful for our safety. Families and communities are the foundation of our work. We know many families, child care providers, and small […]
Building Bright Futures (BBF) Regional Early Childhood Councils are an essential part of the BBF statewide network infrastructure to improve the well-being of children and families. BBF facilitated a process across the 12 Regional Councils during April and May 2023 with over 130 partners participating. The Process The Regional Council priority setting process is designed […]
News from the Network is a series from Building Bright Futures that spotlights the work of Regional Councils, updates related to early childhood data, emerging priorities from VECAP Committees, and more. This update gives a closer look at BBF’s work across the state of Vermont to improve the well-being of young children and families. VECAP […]
On Tuesday, June 20, 2023, during a veto override session, Vermont’s legislature passed H.217, a historic act related to investing in the state’s early childhood system. The law goes into effect on July 1, 2023, with portions of the law being phased in over time through 2026. In this legislative recap, we look at the roles […]
We’re excited to introduce four new BBF team members: Michelle Kersey, Kate Bailey, Tanya LaChapelle, and Valerie Wood. These new hires come as we ramp up our activities under “Vermont Integration Project: Building Integration in Vermont’s B-5 Early Childhood Systems (VIP B-5),” the three-year, $23 million federal Preschool Development Grant (PDG) awarded to Vermont at […]
Flor Diaz Smith’s passion for education and supporting children and communities clearly shines through from the first minute you talk with her. She is an interior designer, a parent of two, and a school board member serving the Montpelier area for the past 14 years. Diaz Smith wears a lot of hats: She serves as […]