| | This Issue Update newsletter is part of a series that provides more information on each priority issue on the Alliance's 2024 Legislative Agenda. The Legislative Agenda is crafted annually in partnership with early childhood organizations that are advancing legislative policy solutions related to health, safety, food security, economic security, and early care and education. The priority issues were selected by the Alliance's 21 member Steering Committee. | | | | | | | | Information and Referral: Ensure a Strong and Accessible Vermont 211 Information and Referral System For many years, nonprofit service providers throughout Vermont have promoted and relied upon Vermont 211 as the one phone number to remember, as the reliable, trusted place where someone will always answer and help people connect with services and referrals. Vermont 211 is supported in large part by state funding through the Department of Children and Families. The program has been level-funded for many years even as the actual cost of running the program has grown significantly. The final FY24 Budget funded only 84% of the needed funding to run the program, with over half of that from one-time funding. The Alliance supports the allocation of base state funding in FY25 for the Vermont 211 Information and Referral System that allows for full-time service, maintenance of information databases, and capacity to assist the state and municipalities in times of disaster and emergencies. FY24 costs were projected to be $1.4 million to maintain operations. UPDATE: The Governor’s Recommended FY25 Budget includes approximately $1.3 million in base funding to support Vermont 211 operations, which would allow for operations at current levels and stabilize funding by putting it in the base budget. The Alliance and its members are urging the Legislature to include this level of funding in their FY25 Budget, and to consider adding additional funding to allow for full time, 24 hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week operations. | | | |  | Data and Talking Points - Vermont 211 received 49,126 contacts by phone and text in 2022.
| | | | Lead Organization Vermont Early Childhood Advocacy Alliance The Vermont Early Childhood Advocacy Alliance is a statewide coalition of early childhood professionals and providers, parents, organizations, and businesses working together to improve public policies that impact children from birth to age eight and families in the areas of health, safety, food security, economic security, and early care and education. To achieve this goal, the Alliance focuses on the creation and support of an annual Legislative Agenda in the Vermont legislature. The Agenda includes priority issues for the coalition’s diverse voices from around the state. | | | | | | | |  | Alliance Legislative Agenda: Weekly Issue Spotlight – Vermont 211 and Parent Child Center Network – 2/26 This winter, the Alliance is hosting virtual Weekly Issue Spotlights leading up to ECDL. Each session focuses on one or two issues from the Alliance’s 2024 Legislative Agenda. Joined by representatives from the lead organizations, participants can ask direct questions and hear a brief legislative update regarding the issues. The next session will be held Monday, February 26, from 3:30 to 4:30 pm, and focuses on two issues on our Legislative Agenda – “Ensuring a Strong and Accessible Vermont 211”, and “Parent Child Center Network Integrated Grant: Fully Fund Vermont’s Parent Child Centers”. Led by Beverly Boget from the Alliance and Claire Kendall from the Parent Child Center Network, this session is a great opportunity to learn more about these issues, where they stand in the Legislature, and how to get involved. | | | | | |  | | | | |  | | | | | The Vermont Early Childhood Advocacy Alliance is a statewide coalition formed in 2000 of early childhood professionals, parents, organizations, businesses, and strategic partners committed to improving public policies that impact young children between birth and age eight in the areas of health, safety, food security, economic security, and early care and education. The Alliance crafts an annual Legislative Agenda in partnership with early childhood organizations, provides year-round advocacy support, and facilitates meaningful interactions with policymakers at key times during the decision making process. | | | | 7 School Street | Montpelier , Vermont 05602 vecaa.org The Vermont Early Childhood Advocacy Alliance is a program of the Vermont Community Loan Fund. | | | | | | | | | |
