Advocates Celebrate Vermont Senate Advancing Bill to Recognize Early Childhood Educators as Professionals
The Vermont State Senate made history today by advancing H.472, a bill that includes officially creating an early childhood education (ECE) profession. The Senate passed the bill with overwhelming support from across the political spectrum. Vermont is the first state in the country to take this step.
The ECE Profession Bill was introduced based on the recommendations of Vermont’s Office of Professional Regulation. The bill reflects feedback from more than one thousand Vermont early childhood educators. It has the full support of both the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children (VTAEYC) and Let’s Grow Kids.
“The ECE Profession Bill is about doing what’s right for Vermont’s youngest children and their families. When this bill becomes law, it will strengthen our entire child care system—giving families more transparency and greater confidence that their child’s educator is a qualified professional who is fully prepared to support their child's early learning and lifelong success. Creating an ECE profession, aligned with national and state standards, ensures Vermont's early childhood educators have the preparation, skills, and support needed to do their critical work. Today’s Senate vote brings us one step closer to that vision.” said Sharron Harrington, Executive Director of the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children.
Research shows that highly qualified early childhood educators lead to better outcomes for children. “This means children are less likely to need special education services, are better prepared for kindergarten, and are more likely to graduate high school,” Harrington explained. “In other words, ECE professional recognition benefits Vermont’s children, families, and communities, as well as this workforce.”
The ECE Profession Bill fills a regulatory gap in early childhood education for children between six weeks and when they start public school. Most of Vermont’s youngest children—and all of its infants and toddlers in child care—receive care in programs outside the public school system. There are approximately 6,500 early childhood educators working in non-public school settings, Harrington said.
Jen Olson, a parent and early childhood educator in Bristol, said: “The majority of early childhood educators don’t have a common system or language to share their qualifications, which makes it hard to navigate career paths and to communicate quality to families. I’ve never walked into a hospital or doctor’s office unsure of the credentials of the people caring for my son—I want the same for early childhood education. Families should be able to enter any program, in any setting, and know that the educators are highly qualified, fairly compensated, and held to professional standards.”
The ECE Profession Bill builds on earlier state investments in Vermont’s child care workforce: previous public investments in apprenticeships programs, scholarship programs, and student loan repayment are already helping early childhood educators increase their qualifications at little to no cost. The landmark 2023 public investment of Act 76 is structured to support the profession, as a source of stable funding helping programs increase wages and benefits.
Aly Richards, Board President of Let’s Grow Kids Action Network, said: “Vermont’s child care movement is thrilled to see our lawmakers take this important step towards recognizing the essential work ECEs do to ensure our children get the best possible start during their most formative developmental years. Creating a sustainable, equitable, and transparent system to support the expansion of the ECE profession will help bring more Vermonters into the ECE field and ensure they are well-trained and well-compensated, leading to improved quality and increased capacity in our child care system. This bill builds on the progress we’re seeing from Act 76 and brings our state closer to a child care system that works for everyone.”
About VTAEYC
The Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children advances excellence and equity in early childhood education as the state’s largest membership organization for early childhood educators and is the state affiliate of NAEYC, the National Association for the Education of Young Children. As a nonprofit organization formed by a grassroots effort 50+ years ago and now with nearly 700 members, VTAEYC offers advocacy, workforce development, professional development and other resources to its membership and others in the early childhood education field. VTAEYC aims to meet the needs of today’s early childhood education workforce and create a stronger, more equitable early childhood education system for the future. Learn more: vtaeyc.org
About LGKAN
Let’s Grow Kids Action Network is a 501(c)(4) organization focused on passing laws that fund and sustain an equitable child care system in Vermont. As a social welfare organization, working in partnership with Let’s Grow Kids in service of Vermont’s Child Care Campaign, Let’s Grow Kids Action Network can engage in political and electoral advocacy and lobbying. Learn more at www.letsgrowkidsactionnetwork.org.