Vermont Integration Project: Building Integration in Vermont’s B-5 Early Childhood Systems (VIP B-5)
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Do you have a question about Vermont Integration Project: Building Integration in Vermont’s B-5 Early Childhood Systems (VIP B-5)? Please submit it here and it will be shared with the PDG Directors, who meet regularly.
Priorities of the Preschool Development Grant
The Preschool Development Grant will allow Vermont to build on our existing infrastructure and strong partnerships to improve equitable and inclusive access and quality in our system, positively impacting child and family outcomes by:
- Prioritizing equitable and inclusive access to Vermont’s mixed-delivery system of early childhood care and education, which includes licensed family and center-based child care programs, public schools, Head Start, and community-based organizations.
- Supporting the early childhood workforce by providing professional development and training opportunities, utilization of the Vermont Early Learning Standards and better integrating health and mental health care with early childhood care and education programs.
- Seeking out input from families about the needs of Vermont’s young children, create leadership opportunities for families, and increase access to early childhood resources, services and supports.
- Updating Vermont’s Early Childhood Action Plan (VECAP), the five-year strategic plan for the state’s early childhood system.
- Strengthening monitoring and accountability practices through data integration, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement efforts.
Timeline and Funding
How much?
$7,744,080 annually for 3 years with potential renewal opportunities
How long?
3-year renewal award
Year 1: December 31, 2022 – December 30, 2023
Year 2: December 31, 2023 – December 30, 2024
Year 3: December 31, 2024 – December 30, 2025
Who is involved?
PDG Directors Team: The following partners have agreed to designate staff to serve as the PDG Directors and Key Implementation Partners and commit to carrying out their collaborative roles and responsibilities in the grant to strengthen systems and supports for young children and families.
- State Designated Applicant: Agency of Human Services; Department for Children and Families; Child Development Division
- Building Bright Futures; Vermont’s Early Childhood State Advisory Council
- Vermont Agency of Education
- Vermont Department of Health; Maternal and Child Health Division
- Agency of Human Services; Vermont Department of Mental Health
The Director’s Team will be responsible for communication; public-private partnerships to execute grant activities; monitoring, reporting, and evaluation; and securing match funds.
Vermont’s broad early childhood system stakeholders: The majority of the projects outlined below will require stakeholder participation in many forms, including the execution of $2M of subgrants to enhance quality and expand access in each year of the grant.
PDG Planning Grant (2019)
At the end of 2018, Vermont’s Child Development Division of the Department for Children and Families applied for and was awarded a federal grant known as the Preschool Development Grant Birth to Five (PDG B-5). The grant funds DCF and several partners (including BBF) in achieving four key goals:
- A needs assessment and strategic planning for Vermont’s early childhood system. Read the final report or watch the Needs Assessment and Strategic Vision webinar.
- Enhanced collaboration and coordination among early care and education providers in a mixed-delivery system
- More parent choice and knowledge about the early care and education programs
- Sharing best practices and incremental improvements to the early care and education system
