New KIDS COUNT Policy Report Released

This week, the Annie E. Casey Foundation released a new KIDS COUNT Policy Report, Kids, Families and COVID-19: Pandemic Pain Points and a Roadmap for Recovery, an annual national report based on data from the US Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey. Voices for Vermont's Children summarized this year's key findings for our state:

• Vermont had the lowest rate for two data points about adults in households with children — those worried about making their next housing payment (10%) and those lacking health insurance (5%) — both significantly lower than the U.S. average
• In Vermont, 22% of respondents with children in their households reported feeling down, depressed, or hopeless in the previous week
• 11% of Vermont respondents say there is sometimes or often not enough food to eat, somewhat better than the national rate of 14%

Learn more by reading Voices for Vermont's Children's press release about this year's Report and visiting their KIDS COUNT in Vermont page.

RSVP for the Alliance Equity Discussion Group – 12/18 at 1pm

Many early childhood community members have renewed their personal and professional commitment to antiracism and diversity, equity, and inclusion – and want to engage in sustained learning. To support this, the Alliance and its partners are convening a monthly, salon-style Equity Discussion Group via Zoom.

This month, Let's Grow Kids and the Alliance will be co-facilitating a discussion from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm on Friday, December 18. Let's Grow Kids staff will present a resource and discuss how they incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion principles into their work. Participants will share their reflections and questions with their peers in an open collective learning environment.

Please RSVP to Alliance Outreach Manager Amy Russo-Perler at amy@vecaa.org by 5:00 pm on Thursday, December 17 to register. We look forward to seeing you there!

Share your Ideas with the “Vermont Proposition”

The “Vermont Proposition” is a new project managed by the Vermont Council on Rural Development. It is a conceptual framework they have developed for Vermont’s future, based on dozens of personal interviews; input from local, regional, and statewide COVID recovery convenings; and ideas from partners, policy councils and tens of thousands of people who have participated to set and advance action to improve life in their communities.

A first draft of their Proposition is now open for review and feedback. Offer your thoughts by responding through a survey, and learn more about this initiative on their website.

VAHC Embarks on a Statewide Resident Organizing Project

With the financial support of a Catholic Campaign for Human Development grant, in the coming months the Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition (VAHC) will help to establish and train a statewide network of affordable housing residents who are ready and able to meaningfully participate in resident-driven, state-level affordable housing advocacy, with the aim of eventually creating an autonomous, resident-led organization. Read more about this new project on VAHC’s blog.

If you know any affordable housing or public housing residents who might be excited to take an active role in this project, please (with their permission) connect them to VAHC’s Resident Engagement VISTA Talya Guenzburger at talya@vtaffordablehousing.org.

Read VCLF’s First Environmental Impact Report

The Alliance's parent organization, the Vermont Community Loan Fund (VCLF), is one of the first financial institutions in North America to use the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials' methodology to analyze and report on the environmental impacts of their work.

This month, VCLF released “A Carbon Impact Analysis of VCLF’s Loan Portfolio,” studying the environmental impacts of the organization’s work.

Learn more on the Loan Fund’s website.

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vecaa.org

The Vermont Early Childhood Advocacy Alliance is a program of the Vermont Community Loan Fund.