VTAEYC, LGKAN Announce Child Care Policy Priorities for 2026 Legislative Session
(Montpelier) – Today, the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children (VTAEYC) and Let’s Grow Kids Action Network (LGKAN) released their joint child care policy priorities for 2026. The organizations say long-term public investment is driving progress and growth statewide, but that child care demand still exceeds availability, programs need more qualified educators, and costs remain too high for many families. As part of their 2026 Child Care Agenda, VTAEYC and LGKAN are asking state lawmakers to focus on four key areas: protecting the child care funding that is delivering results; strengthening the early childhood educator (ECE) workforce; fixing the state’s fingerprint and background check system delays that worsen staffing shortages at child care programs; and continuing to expand access and lower costs for families.
Protect ALL Child Care Funding and Keep Act 76 Moving Forward
Act 76 delivers over $100 million in long-term public investment for Vermont’s child care system, and the impact is already changing lives. Over the past two years, more than 100 new child care programs have opened, creating over 1,700 spaces for children and 400 new early childhood educator jobs. Lawmakers backed up their commitment last year by ensuring continued support for Act 76 in the next fiscal year budget. This year, VTAEYC and LGKAN are urging lawmakers to commit to full FY27 child care funding in the state budget and oppose any attempts to divert child care dollars or slow progress.
Emilie Tenenbaum, the newly appointed executive director of LGKAN said: “We’re over two years removed from Act 76 and we’re seeing tremendous progress. Vermont is really turning a corner on child care. At a time when lawmakers face tough budget decisions, it’s critical to stay committed to investments that are working. Public investment in our child care system is resulting in children entering school better prepared and more parents able to work. That progress isn’t guaranteed without continued commitment from lawmakers.”
Clara Wootton, Executive Director of River Branch Community School in Waterbury said, “Stability is what families and early childhood educators rely on in child care, and continued public investment makes that possible. That support has already helped programs grow, opened more opportunities for children and families, and allowed educators to build careers they can sustain. To meet families’ needs and keep a skilled, supported workforce, we need to keep investing in the people and programs that make this work possible across Vermont.”
Strengthen the Early Childhood Educator Workforce
Long-term public investment is helping child care programs across Vermont expand. But increasing access to child care only works when there is a strong workforce of qualified early childhood educators ready to care for those children. Research shows that children have better outcomes in school and beyond when they have access to qualified early childhood educators. Advocates in the child care workforce have long stressed that clear career pathways are essential to recruitment and retention. VTAEYC and LGKAN support the ECE Profession Bill (S.206), which creates professional recognition for early childhood educators working in non-public-school child care settings through the Office of Professional Regulation. This legislation supports educators, closes regulatory gaps, creates transparency for parents, and supports best outcomes for children.
“Vermont is already seeing real results from long-term public investment in child care, but our success depends on a strong, supported early childhood educator workforce,” said Sharron Harrington, Executive Director of VTAEYC. “To keep expanding access and improving outcomes for children and families, we must fully protect child care funding and recognize the more than 6,500 educators in Vermont’s child care programs as the skilled professionals who make this system work.”
Fix Vermont’s Fingerprint and Background Check Delays
It’s critical for the safety of our kids that ECEs and child care staff take part in efficient and thorough criminal background checks. Currently there is a long backlog for fingerprint and background checks through the Vermont Crime Information Center (VCIC) of more than 35 days. These delays block new educators from starting work, intensifying staffing shortages in child care and afterschool programs. VTAEYC and LGKAN are asking lawmakers to support FY26 BAA and FY27 budget requests from the Agency of Digital Services (ADS), VCIC, Child Development Division (CDD), and the Agency of Education (AOE) to fund the technology modernization and process improvements needed to clear the backlog and prevent future delays.
Increase Access and Affordability
Through expansions under Act 76, enrollment in the state’s child care tuition assistance program has grown significantly with over 5,000 additional children and their families now benefiting from reduced child care costs. But affordable child care is still out of reach for many, and additional investment is still needed. This session, VTAEYC and LGKAN are asking legislators to review and expand the eligibility criteria to lower child care costs for more families. Additionally, the organizations advocate to strengthen and expand popular programs proven to help recruit and retain ECEs, helping increase child care access statewide.
Christine Dodson, CEO of Mamava, a 60-person Vermont-based manufacturing company headquartered in Burlington with a manufacturing facility in Springfield stated: “Our economic growth depends on our state having a robust child care system. Public investment in child care is absolutely about our youngest kids, but it’s also about investing in parents and young families, and their ability to work, grow and succeed here in Vermont. As an employer in Vermont, I hear and see firsthand how the investments from Act 76 have helped our employees gain access to more affordable child care, but I also see the continued gaps that remain. Child care is essential to our state’s economic viability and I urge lawmakers to continue to prioritize it as a top issue this session.”
The 2026 Child Care Agenda is a result of ongoing engagement with families, early childhood educators, employers, and statewide partners. Together, these priorities underscore both the progress made and the continued commitment needed to ensure child care works for children, families, educators, and Vermont’s economy.