| | This Issue Update newsletter is part of a series that provides more information on each priority issue on the Alliance's 2025 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 Steering Committee. | | | | | | | | Building Bright Futures: Supporting Capacity to Advise and Monitor Vermont’s Early Childhood System Building Bright Futures (BBF) is named in state statute as the entity charged with advising the Legislature,Governor, and Administration on the well-being and needs of young children and their families. BBF’s role and utility has increased in recent years, including being named responsible for monitoring implementation, impacts, and outcomes related to Act 76. This increased role takes significant time, skill, and capacity from Building Bright Futures’ small team. Current state appropriations do not sufficiently support the ever-changing needs of the early childhood system and the increased level of responsiveness BBF’s role requires. The Alliance supports BBF’s request for an additional $322,445 in base funding in FY26 to support monitoring, accountability, technical assistance/building state and legislative capacity, and advisement. This additional funding is necessary to support personnel, overhead, and program expenses/contracts that will support BBF’s ability to provide timely direct advisement on policy and program implementation based on the most up-to-date data and monitoring efforts. Legislative Update The Governor’s Recommended FY26 Budget did not contain a funding increase for BBF. The House Human Services Committee has supported the BBF funding request in their Budget recommendations memo to the House Appropriations Committee. The Appropriations Committee is currently considering the request, and needs to finalize their FY26 Budget proposal by Friday, March 21. | | | |  | Data and Talking Points -
BBF advised the Legislature and decision-makers more than 150 times during the 2023-2024 biennium. | | | | Lead Organization Building Bright Futures Building Bright Futures (BBF) is Vermont’s Early Childhood State Advisory Council Network. BBF is charged under state and federal statute as the primary advisor to Vermont’s Governor, Administration, and Legislature on the well-being of children and families from the prenatal period to age 8. BBF was strategically created as a public-private partnership to serve as an independent, nonpartisan entity. | | | | | | Perinatal Loss: Funding to Expand Peer Support for Pregnancy and Infancy Loss Empty Arms Vermont provides free, statewide, peer support for families who have experienced pregnancy and infant loss. About 1 in 4 pregnancies end in loss, yet historically, perinatal loss has been a hidden or disenfranchised grief, and thus not adequately supported by the community. Parents facing perinatal loss are at much greater risk for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders compared to non-bereaved parents. Empty Arms Vermont is the only statewide organization that provides peer support for any family in Vermont facing pregnancy or infant loss The Alliance supports the Empty Arms effort to secure $40,000 for two years ($80,000 total) in state funding in order to develop a long-term, sustainable plan to strengthen internal capacity and scale up programs. Legislative Update The House Human Services Committee supports the Empty Arms request of $40,000 in one-time funds in their Budget recommendations memo to the House Appropriations Committee. That Committee is currently considering the request, and needs to finalize their FY26 Budget proposal by Friday, March 21. | | | |  | Data and Talking Points - Bereaved birthing parents have four times greater odds of major depression and seven times greater odds of post-traumatic stress disorder than non-bereaved birthing parents.
- Untreated perinatal mood and anxiety disorders account for an estimated $48 million in societal costs in Vermont. The state, insurers, and families bear this cost. Supporting comprehensive support services for perinatal loss ultimately decreases the incurred costs for untreated mental illness.
- Social support plays a role in buffering the effects of trauma and in mediating stress after bereavement.
- An intervention that allows mothers to express their emotions and retell their stories helps to decrease depression, self-blame, and trauma.
Resources | | | | Lead Organization Empty Arms VT Empty Arms Vermont provides peer support to individuals and families whose babies have died through miscarriage, stillbirth, early infant death (within the first year of infancy), or termination for medical reasons. By cultivating personal connections, creating a compassionate community, and fostering professional collaborations, we provide grieving parents with valuable resources and validation as they navigate the murky days, weeks, and lifetime without their baby. | | | | | |  | The Alliance’s series of virtual Issue Spotlights, which focus on issues from the Alliance’s 2025 Legislative Agenda, continues on Monday, March 17, from 3:30 to 4:30 pm, and will provide updates on the status of three issues on the Alliance’s ’25 Legislative Agenda as the Legislature passes the half-way point of their annual session. Led by representatives from BBF, Empty Arms VT, and the Alliance, this session is a great opportunity to learn more about BBF's Supporting Capacity to Advise and Monitor Vermont’s Early Childhood System, Medicaid Coverage for Community Doulas, and CIS System Support, and get an update on 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. | | | | | | | | | |
