Highlights from ECDL 2025

Over 200 early childhood professionals and providers, parents, employers, and business owners came together for Early Childhood Day at the Legislature (ECDL) on March 13, 2025 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel and Vermont State House. As usual the highlight of the Day was the lunch with legislators, with 55 participating legislators hearing directly from members of the state’s early childhood community on issues currently being considered in the State House.

Continue reading for photos and a recap of the Day and remember to save the date for the 32nd annual ECDL on March 11, 2026!

This inspiring annual day of advocacy, education, and networking was hosted by the Vermont Early Childhood Advocacy Alliance and sponsored by 14 funders, agencies, organizations, providers, and businesses.

The Day began in the State House cafeteria, where advocates used the opportunity to talk with legislators about early childhood issues over coffee.

Reps. Ashley Bartley and Emilie Krasnow kicked off the main part of the day with inspiring comments about advocacy and the importance of the early childhood community’s voice. They noted how their work in the Legislature is shaped and motivated by the stories they hear from experts in the field – the professionals, providers, and families directly impacted by the decisions they and their colleagues make.

The Day included issue workshops facilitated by the lead organizations on the Alliance’s Legislative Agenda. Three meeting rooms in the Capitol Plaza were packed for lunch, when early childhood stakeholders spoke directly with policy makers about key issues from the Alliance's 2025 Legislative Agenda, such as high-quality, affordable child care; emergency and affordable housing; and funding for programs like Vermont 211 and Parent Child Centers, among other issues.

After lunch Rep. Rey Garofano spoke on the House floor, acknowledging advocates in the House Chamber for their important work. Advocates then returned to the Capitol Plaza for afternoon sessions on topics such as the building blocks of advocacy, business support for child care programs, and utilizing farm to early childhood programming in classrooms.

We are grateful to all of Vermont's advocates for lending their voice towards policy change and for their important work on behalf of Vermont’s children and families!

Thank you to everyone who was part of this wonderful event this year. We look forward to seeing you again next year.

We'd also like to thank the amazing team of Early Education majors from the University of Vermont College of Education and Social Services who helped the Day to run smoothly.

Many of the slide presentations and other resources from the sessions are available in PDF format on the ECDL website.

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