Committee reviews licensure bill to create Board of Early Childhood Educators, transitional licenses and staff funding

The Senate Committee on Government Operations on March 19 heard from legislative council staff on a bill that would create a professional licensing framework for early childhood educators and a Board of Early Childhood Educators within the Office of Professional Regulation (OPR).

Katie McGlenn of the Office of Legislative Council described the bill as a licensure measure that establishes three license tiers (early childhood educator 1, 2 and 3), creates a nine‑member board appointed by the governor, and sets education, supervision and scope‑of‑practice rules for each tier. "This bill before you is a licensure bill for early childhood educators," McGlenn said, and she walked the committee through the bill’s sections.

Under the draft, the board would consist of nine members appointed for five‑year terms: three public members and two members for each licensed tier (educator 1, 2 and 3). All members must be Vermont residents; educator members must have been in active practice in Vermont for at least the prior three years and remain in active practice while serving. Board members would be limited to two consecutive terms.

The bill defines the scope of practice for license tiers. An early childhood educator 1 would work under on‑site supervision of an educator 2 or 3 or a teacher licensed by the Agency of Education with an early childhood endorsement. An educator 2 may serve as lead educator in non‑public settings (family child‑care homes and center‑based programs) for children through age 5 and provide supervision to educator 1s; in public education settings the educator 2 would serve in a support role for pre‑K through grade 3. Educator 3s have broader authority to supervise and guide other educators and to lead in non‑public settings; in public settings they would serve in a support role for pre‑K through grade 3.

Licensure qualifications differ by tier: educator 1 would require completion of an approved certificate or credential with at least 120 hours of field experience; educator 2 would require an approved associate degree (minimum 60 college credits and field experience); educator 3 would require an approved bachelor’s degree (minimum 120 credits and field experience). The bill permits the board to set by rule any exam and continuing‑education requirements (the bill allows the board to require up to 24 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle).

Recognizing current workforce realities, the bill includes a time‑limited transitional licensure pathway: the board may issue transitional educator 2 or 3 licenses valid for two years and renewable once for a second two‑year period if the applicant documents progress toward educational and experiential qualifications. At the board’s discretion, one final two‑year transitional license (extending transitional eligibility up to six years total) may be issued for extenuating circumstances. The transitional‑licensure provisions are time‑limited and slated for repeal on July 1, 2033.

The bill would also amend definitions in Title 33 (child care statutes) to distinguish licensing individuals from licensing programs and includes appropriation language to staff OPR for implementation. The draft authorizes five new permanent positions in OPR (an executive officer for the board, licensing staff, enforcement staff, general counsel, and administrative staff) and states, in the transcript, that "1.4 is appropriated from the general fund" (the transcript does not specify units; committee staff said the appropriation supports the positions and implementation timeline).

Committee members asked technical questions about distinctions between public and nonpublic settings, whether college programs would qualify under degree language, and how fees and continuing‑education requirements typically are set. McGlenn and other staff repeatedly referred questions about implementation detail and interpretive decisions to the Office of Professional Regulation and to rules the proposed board would adopt. Chair Collamore thanked McGlenn for the walkthrough and the committee scheduled further follow up with OPR staff and stakeholders.