On August 24th, Building Bright Futures (BBF) presented the birth to five systems needs assessment. The presentation integrated the key needs assessment themes with strategies supporting the Early Childhood Action Plan goals to inform sound policy development and strategic decision making in response to gaps facing Vermont’s children, families and early childhood system. In case you do not have time to watch the full webinar, below are direct links to the themes as well as the webinar slides.
The 2020 Early Childhood Needs Assessment included data from 160 stakeholders who participated in focus groups or an online survey as well as data from other recent surveys of Vermont families, early childhood stakeholders, the Department of Children and Families and the Agency of Education. Eight themes identified in the visual above form this wealth of data although in some ways it is difficult to separate the themes from one another. These eight themes are not new, although the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated existing gaps and challenges. It is critical for us to have evidence about where within these themes we’ve seen successes and where we still have work left to do to meet the needs of all children and families in Vermont.
BBF looks forward to sharing the full Needs Assessment report as well as the update to Vermont’s Early Childhood Action Plan later this fall.
- Introduction to Vermont’s Early Childhood Vision, Strategic Goals and Building Bright Futures Role
- Opening Remarks from Representative Jessica Brumsted on the importance of using data to inform policy decisions
- Webinar Session Goals and Factors impacting the 2020 Needs Assessment and Early Childhood Action Plan (ECAP) Update
- Methodology and Analysis
- Needs Assessment Themes Overview
- Equity & Vulnerable Children and Families
- System Integration
- Family Leadership & Engagement
- Early Childhood and Family Mental Health
- Quality and Accessibility
- Workforce
- High Quality Data
- Resources & Funding
- Summary, Next Steps & Appreciations
Please note that throughout the presentation, when “we”, “the field”, or “stakeholders”, are referenced, it is the collective “we”, early childhood leaders including, families, providers, educators, directors across the state of Vermont, not just those integrated within BBF’s networks.
