Let's Grow Kids

VBSR Supports the Let's Grow Kids Campaign

In February 2021, VBSR proudly announced its support of the Let's Grow Kids Child Care Campaign, a pivotal movement striving to ensure that every child in Vermont has access to high-quality early childhood education. This initiative is dedicated to meeting the diverse needs of children and their families across the state.

A Milestone Achievement: The Passage of Act 76

2023 marked a significant victory for Vermonters, many of whom are VBSR members, as their persistent advocacy led to the passage of Act 76. This legislation positions Vermont as a national frontrunner in child care.

The law’s historic investments aim to stabilize our childcare sector, expand access to affordable, quality care for countless Vermont children and families, and contribute to making Vermont a more affordable place to live.

The Next Steps in 2024: Fulfilling Act 76's Promise

The Vermont Legislature's challenge in 2024 is to fulfill the commitment of Act 76, which entails an additional investment of $125 million annually into Vermont’s childcare system.

Ensuring Implementation: The Child Care Campaign's Goal

The Child Care Campaign’s primary policy goal is to ensure full funding and proper implementation of Act 76. VBSR is committed to continuing its support and collaborative efforts with Let’s Grow Kids to achieve this goal.

The Impact on Vermont’s Workforce and Economy

VBSR members have witnessed firsthand the profound impact a lack of high-quality, affordable child care has on Vermont’s workforce. Business owners and employees have long faced challenges accessing essential child care services, affecting business success and the vitality of Vermont's economy. Inaccessibility and unaffordability of child care often force many parents to leave the workforce, impacting Vermont’s economy.

Act 76 Implementation: Ensuring Effective Distribution of Funds

As the implementation of Act 76 progresses, we must ensure new funding reaches those who need it most: our childcare programs, our early childhood educators, our families and our kids.

Leaders Speak Out: The Impact of Supporting Child Care

High-quality, affordable child care is essential to Vermont’s families and businesses; never has this been more apparent than during the pandemic,” said VBSR Board Member and Head of Community Relations at National Life Group Beth Rusnock. “It’s time we work together to develop sustainable, realistic solutions to help make this happen.
— Beth Rusnock, VBSR Board Member and Head of Community Relations at National Life Group
The data has shown us what we suspected all along. That women bear the brunt of the socio-economic impacts when they can’t access child care,” said Sascha Mayer, VBSR Board Member and Co-Founder and CEO of Mamava. “It’s women who, when the pandemic hit and their children were home, had to leave their jobs to care for their families. If universal child care was available to them, the economic impacts of the pandemic would look very different.
— Sascha Mayer, VBSR Board Member and Co-Founder and CEO of Mamava
Clearly, this has been an issue in Vermont long before the pandemic hit,” said VBSR Board Member Duane Peterson, Co-President of SunCommon. “But as is the case with many things, the pandemic really highlighted existing issues of inequity. As a Vermont employer, it’s critically important to me that my employees have access to child care so they can continue to play an important role on our team. Losing people from our workforce has devastating impacts on our company.
— Duane Peterson, VBSR Board Member and Co-President of SunCommon