Janet McLaughlin serves as the Deputy Commissioner for the Child Development Division at the Department for Children and Families. From 2021 to 2023, she served as the Executive Director for the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children (VTAEYC). Janet’s passion for a more equitable society has driven her two decades in nonprofit leadership. Prior to VTAEYC, Janet worked at the intersection of programs and policy in Vermont’s early childhood education system while serving as Chief Programs Officer, interim CEO, and Chief Operating Officer at Let’s Grow Kids. Prior to that, she headed the Vermont Community Foundation’s Food and Farm Initiative, a collaborative effort to fight hunger in Vermont while strengthening its local food system. From 2004 to 2013, Janet oversaw the growth of Cooking Matters, a food skills education program for low-income families, while at DC-based nonprofit Share Our Strength. She has a Master’s of Public Administration with a specialization in Nonprofit Management from Syracuse University and her undergraduate degree from Harvard University. Janet lives in Burlington and is an enthusiastic eater, dedicated “all levels” yogi, wife of a “real” Vermonter, and mom of two energetic elementary-aged boys.
