| |  | | | Alliance Annual Membership Meeting (and LG Candidate Forum) – 6/4 Join early childhood advocates and policy leaders from around the state on the afternoon of June 4 at the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich for the Alliance’s Annual Membership Meeting. The event starts at 12:30 pm with registration, followed by workshops on the results of Alliance’s 2026 Legislative Agenda and an information session for new Alliance members. The Meeting will also feature elections for seats on the Alliance Steering Committee. The Meeting program will feature two important, timely conversations: - Comments from the staff of Rep. Becca Balint about the status of work on the next federal budget, which is scheduled to take effect on October 1, and
- A Lieutenant Governor candidate forum.
We are excited that all four declared candidates for Lt. Gov. are planning to attend the forum. The Meeting concludes with a social hour and an opportunity to network with other members of the early childhood community. Download a PDF of the Meeting agenda here. For more information and to register, visit our website. Join the Alliance or renew your membership on our website. Contact Taylor Hughey, Alliance Outreach Manager, at [email protected] with any questions. | | | |  | Become an Early MTSS/Pyramid Model Implementation Site – Applications Due 5/22 The Pyramid Model Consortium is now accepting applications from child care programs that are interested in becoming an Early Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)/Pyramid Model Implementation Site. The Early MTSS/Pyramid Model is a nationally recognized framework that provides evidence-based practices to promote social and emotional competence, prevent challenging behavior, and support inclusive environments for all children, especially those with persistent behavior challenges. Participating sites receive professional development, coaching, and access to peers through a community of practice, helping reduce staff burnout and support continuous improvement. Thirty programs will be accepted into the first cohort and will focus on strengthening support for young children’s social-emotional development while enhancing overall program quality. For more information and to apply, visit the Pyramid Model Consortium website. Applications are due by 5:00 pm on Monday, May 22. Informational sessions will be held on May 14 from 4:00 to 5:30 pm and May 15 from 12:00 to 1:30 pm via Zoom. | | | |  | Federal Universal School Meals Act Being Reintroduced Initially proposed in the last Congress, the federal Universal School Meals bill would create a national school meals program much like the one here in Vermont. In addition, the bill proposes to expand support for summer meal programs and the Child and Adult Care Food Program, which provides critical nutrition support for child care providers. Bill supporters, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, are seeking organizational endorsements to show broad community support for the proposals. Organizations can sign up to support the bill using this link. | | | |  | BBF Announces Recipients of VECF Grants Building Bright Futures (BBF) recently announced the recipients of their Vermont Early Childhood Fund (VECF) awards for spring 2026. The Fund supports creative solutions that will improve the well-being of children from the prenatal period through age eight, their families, and the Vermont communities in which they live. For more information and to read about the grantees, visit the BBF website. | | | |  | Vermont Afterschool Releases “The Launchpad” Vermont Afterschool has released “The Launchpad,” a quarterly collection of ready-to-use curriculum and activity ideas designed to support afterschool and out-of-school time programs. Each edition features activities across multiple content areas, age groups, skill levels, and time commitments, offering flexible resources for a variety of program settings. From quick enrichment activities to more in-depth projects, “The Launchpad” provides practical ideas to help support engaging learning experiences for youth. Visit the Vermont Afterschool website for more information. | | | | | |  | | | | | 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 childhood 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. | | | | | | | | | |
