Vermont
Working families in Vermont need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in Vermont. But too many working families in Vermont are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the Vermont economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
In the state, 72% of children have all available parents participating in the workforce, while the average cost of care is $18,710 a year (or $1,559 per month).
More than 1,500 children ages 5 and under have child care costs subsidized through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), or 17% of those eligible. The average copay with a CCDBG subsidy is $1,075 a month.
1.2K children receive care, learning, nutrition, and other services at no cost through Early Head Start/Head Start (or 28% of those eligible for Early Head Start and 37% of those eligible for Head Start).
And 11.8K working families have the cost of their child care offset through the Child + Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC).
However, many working parents still struggle to access affordable, quality child care, which costs the state’s economy an estimated $344 million each year in lost earnings and productivity.
Vermont: In The Headlines
New federal funds to help Vermont keep up with rapid changes to child care and Pre-K
VT Digger | January 13, 2026
The grant comes from the Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five program, which has supported parts of Vermont’s early childhood landscape for a decade.
Mount Snow to reduce child care offerings, citing ‘long-term sustainability’
VT Digger | October 16, 2025
The cuts at Mount Snow come at a time of on-going concerns with rural child care access.
Opinion: Vermont’s child care future relies on early childhood educators
Vermont Biz | January 28, 2026
We need to protect the child care funding that’s already working and strengthen our early childhood educator workforce.
Vermont Resources & News
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Governors show support for Federal Preschool Development Grant B-5 Funding
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Through the Years: Preschool Development Grants Birth Through Five
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2024 Child Care and Early Learning State Fact Sheets
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New BPC Report: A Look into Child Care Workforce Licensing Requirements
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How States Are Using PDG B-5 Grants to Support Career Pathways
The BUILD Initiative, ZERO TO THREE, and Start Early, recently released a new brief highlighting the strategies states are using to improve career pathways in their Preschool Development Grant Birth …
How States Are Using PDG B-5 Grants to Support Financing
The BUILD Initiative, ZERO TO THREE, and Start Early, recently released a new brief highlighting the strategies states are using to improve financing in their Preschool Development Grant Birth through …
FFYF’S 2023 State Fact Sheets
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New 50 State Analysis Shows Impact of Federal Child Care Program
New analysis of all 50 states and the District of Columbia from First Five Years Fund (FFYF) shows that while the nation’s main federal child care program – the Child …
How CCDBG Benefits Families in Your State
The Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is the primary federal grant program that provides child care assistance to low-income working families with children under age 13. The majority …
FFYF’s 2022 Child Care & Early Learning State Fact Sheets
Our analysis of all 50 states and Washington, D.C. shows that the existing patchwork of federal and state early learning and care programs only reaches a fraction of income-eligible families. Federal …
Vermont — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
Learn About the Positive Impact of MIECHV in Your State
The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program provides federal funds to states, territories, and tribal entities for voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services. This program was reauthorized in …
Governors Highlight Child Care As Key To Helping States Recover And Grow
For years, Democratic and Republican governors alike have prioritized early learning and care as a smart investment for their states. It’s no surprise, then, that as America faces an ever-worsening child care …
2021 State Fact Sheets: Examining the Impact and Unmet Need of Federal & State ECE Funding
FFYF has released the latest iteration of its annual state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made …
Vermont — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
FFYF Releases State Fact Sheets, Highlighting Unique Local Landscapes
This summer, FFYF released updated state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made possible through federal and state …
Vermont: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
Updated Fact Sheets Show Opportunities for States
On Monday, the Center for American Progress (CAP) released their 2019 Early Learning Fact Sheets which provide an overview of early learning in each state. As in previous years, CAP’s …
See How All 50 States Use CCDBG Funding to Support Working Families Access Quality Child Care
Yesterday, our friends at Child Care Aware of America released a series of state fact sheets on the status of funding through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) …
Vermont: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
46 States and Territories to Receive Preschool Development Grants
Big news! 46 states and territories have been awarded funding through the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5), a $250 million competitive federal grant designed to improve states’ existing early …
