Businesses & Caretakers Planning for Child Care in 2023: What You Need to Know

Event Details:
When: January 31, 2023 11:00 am – January 31, 2023 12:00 pm
Location: Virtual

Cost To Attend:
Nonmembers – Free and Open to the Public
VBSR Members – Free and Open to the Public

Registration is open

Event hosted by: Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility & Let's Grow Kids

We have a momentous opportunity to reshape Vermont’s care economy by securing the long-term public investment needed to fully implement our state’s child care commitments.

If you’re interested in supporting your employees’ child care needs and working in partnership with your peers to end Vermont’s child care crisis this legislative session, then join VBSR and senior leaders from Let’s Grow Kids (LGK), a nonprofit organization leading a statewide campaign to solve Vermont’s child care crisis, to learn what’s new, what’s different, and what’s driving the conversation (and the action) in 2023.

On January 17, an early childhood education funding study done by the RAND corporation (with feedback from VBSR and other advocates like LGK) was released to the Legislature. It detailed not only a variety of reforms but also where the money could come from to pay for them.

RAND’s suggested price tag is large ($645 million) – but the return on investment is very strong. By LGK’s estimates, a child care transformation in Vermont would have an annual economic impact of over $755 million. Join this virtual session to learn the very latest on how the RAND study has landed in Montpelier, what actions LGK is taking in this moment, and what role businesses can now play on this crucial issue.

Vermont’s child care crisis impacts everyone and without an affordable, quality child care system:

  • Children miss out on fundamental development opportunities,
  • parents—especially mothers—are unable to fully participate in the workforce,
  • early childhood educators are undervalued and underpaid for their essential work,
  • employers are unable to recruit and retain talent, and
  • taxpayers pay more for costly services.

Solving our child care crisis makes Vermont a more affordable place for everyone.

Want to catch up on the state of things ahead of this session? Read (or listen to!) this recent overview article in Seven Days that features Let’s Grow Kids.

 

Meet Your Presenters

LouAnn Beninati (she/her/hers) – Director of Child Care Program Viability Strategies, Let’s Grow Kids

Throughout her career, LouAnn has focused on advocacy, consulting, and teaching with a goal toward workforce development for the child care profession. Previous to her work at LGK LouAnn coordinated the STARS system and prior to that she was the director of Robin’s Nest Children’s Center in Burlington. In her current role, she supports the development of networks using a collaborative, community approach to increasing the quality and viability of Vermont child care program.

Hannah Burnett (she/her/hers) – Director of Campaign Giving & Employer Engagement, Let’s Grow Kids

Hannah brings years of fundraising, communications, and organizing experience to Let’s Grow Kids and is thrilled to be channeling her passion for social justice and community building to benefit Vermont families. Previous to her role at Let’s Grow Kids, Hannah studied global health and medical anthropology at Middlebury College and worked in Africa strengthening health systems before receiving her MBA with a focus in marketing and social entrepreneurship from Northeastern University. In 2022 her relationship to this movement expanded when she became a parent advocate as well!

 

Questions? Please reach out to VBSR Education & Events Manager, Molly Barfuss, mollyb@vbsr.org.