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.
There are 34K children ages 5 and under in Vermont – 74% of these children have all available parents in the workforce.
The typical annual cost of child care for an infant in Vermont is around $18,000.
The Child Care and Development Block Grant only reaches 16% of eligible families in Vermont. (This federal program helps low-income parents afford child care.)
On average, child care providers in Vermont earn just $35,990 a year; this can make it a challenge to recruit and retain this workforce, leading to supply issues.
Vermont’s economy loses $195M annually due to child care challenges.
Vermont: In The Headlines
Opinion: We are early childhood educators
VT Digger | aUGUST 13, 2024
Our audacious vision is a state and nation where each and every child, beginning at birth, has the opportunity to benefit from high-quality, affordable early childhood education, delivered by a diverse, effective, well-prepared and well-compensated workforce.
Overcoming pitfalls in the search for child care
WCAX | June 12, 2025
In a state strapped for child care, finding a provider can take months. But even after securing a spot, some parents find out it’s not always the right fit.
Affordable childcare seemed like an impossible task. This is the simple way Vermont pulled it off
Fast Company | April 3, 2025
When business owners noticed their employees couldn’t find childcare they got the state to pass a 0.44% payroll tax. A year later, the state has 90 new child care programs and 1,000 new child care spots.
Vermont Resources & News
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