S. 100 Passes the Senate

Last Friday, the Vermont Senate passed S. 100!  This bill would require all public schools in Vermont to provide universal breakfast at no cost to students or families starting in the 2022-23 school year.  It also requires a task force to come back to the Legislature in January with a recommendation on how to transition to FULL universal school meals over the next few years and creates a new position within the Agency of Education to support schools making the transition to universal school meals.  

Senate passage of S. 100 makes Vermont the first state in the nation to have a government body declare that access to school meals is a fundamental and necessary tool for the education of our students. 

The bill will now move to the House for consideration. There is not much time left in the session, but we are hoping they will take up the bill and send it to the Governor for his signature this year. For more information about S. 100, visit the Hunger Free Vermont website or sign up for their newsletter.

H. 171 Passes Senate Unanimously

Also on Friday, the Senate unanimously passed H. 171, the Child Care bill.  When paired with funding decisions made in the Senate’s version of the FY22 budget, H. 171 includes $12.7 million in immediate, increased investments in child care to support Vermont’s children, and help families return to work.  This bill also lays the foundation for Vermont to achieve affordable access to high-quality child care for all families who need it.  

House and Senate leaders held a joint press conference on Friday to celebrate the bill’s passage.  Senate Pro Tempore, Becca Balint, called making investments in child care a unifying issue during a “unique and extremely challenging legislative session.” H. 171 and the accompanying budget language increase funding for Vermont’s Child Care Financial Assistance Program (CCFAP) and set a goal for the state that no family spend more than 10 percent of their annual income on child care.  Gov. Scott has repeatedly identified child care as a top priority for his administration and we are hopeful that he will sign the bill once it reaches his desk.  

To learn more about H. 171 and the movement to invest in Vermont’s children, visit the Let’s Grow Kids website.

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Diverse stakeholders – from parents and grandparents to educators and business owners – are part of the Alliance’s coalition, supporting advocacy that improves the lives of Vermont’s young children. We invite you to share your voice and join the Alliance today.

Details on individual ($20) and organizational ($75) memberships can be found on our membership page.

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