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Witnesses tell Senate committee licensure in S.119 would strengthen early childhood workforce
Summary
Six witnesses told the Senate Committee on Government Operations on March 28 that creating an early childhood educator licensure pathway (S.119) would professionalize the workforce, reduce turnover and improve child outcomes; testimony included workforce data and examples from Vermont classrooms, family child care and higher education programs.
Senate Committee on Government Operations members heard testimony Friday, March 28, on S.119 and related Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) recommendations to establish an early childhood educator licensure pathway in Vermont.
The testimony focused on workforce retention, training pathways and business viability for child care providers, with witnesses saying licensure would recognize professional preparation across settings and make it easier for educators to move between family child care, center and public school roles.
Elora Zargo, a senior enrolled in the early childhood education program at the Wyndham Regional Career Technical Center in Brattleboro, told the committee she completed required coursework and youth-apprenticeship experience and said the occupation is “much more than just playing.” She said licensure would signal that people doing the work “are serious about it and have the knowledge that they need to succeed and to help the children succeed.”
Kim Freeman, early childhood instructor at the Wyndham…
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