Regulators recommend licensure for Vermont early childhood educators after Sunrise review

The Office of Professional Regulation recommended that Vermont require individual licensure for early childhood educators working in programs regulated by the Child Development Division, saying a Sunrise review found a risk of public harm and that licensure is the appropriate regulatory response.

In a presentation to a legislative committee, Lauren Guterberts, Deputy Secretary of State, said, "If we decide that there is public harm ... spoiler alert, we did decide there is public harm here," and that the state must "assess what level of regulation we should impose." Jen Colon, General Counsel for the Office of Professional Regulation, summarized the Sunrise finding: "We determined that regulation is appropriate in the field and that licensure is the appropriate form of regulation."

The Sunrise review, issued in January and described to the committee, included stakeholder outreach (more than 100 participants in public hearings), input from Vermont AEYC, the Agency of Education, Building Bright Futures, the Child Development Division and other partners, and a 72-page report with appended public comments. OPR staff said most stakeholders supported professionalizing the workforce through individual credentials tied to qualifications.

What the proposal would…