Committee reviews revised draft creating licensure pathway for early childhood workers in CDD-regulated programs

Lawmakers and stakeholders on the Government Operations Committee reviewed draft 1.2 of S.119 on Thursday, which renames the chapter and creates a licensure framework for early childhood educators employed in programs regulated by the Child Development Division (CDD).

Katie McGlenn, Office of Legislative Counsel, walked the committee through the changes, saying, “This is draft 1.2 that we're looking at with the changes highlighted,” and noting that the title was changed to “Early Childhood Educators Employed in Programs Regulated by the Child Development Division” to distinguish these licenses from Agency of Education (AOE) teacher licenses.

The draft would establish four license types (ECE 1, ECE 2, ECE 3 and a time-limited family child care provider credential), revise board membership to add family child care provider representation, and add a definition for a family child care provider as “an individual approved to operate a family child care home regulated by CDD … for children from birth through 8 years of age.” The family child care provider credential would be available only to applicants who operate a regulated family child care home in good standing as of Jan. 1, 2028, and applications for that credential would close on Jan. 1, 2028.

The draft ties the licensure scope repeatedly to programs regulated by CDD. McGlenn said the changes are intended “to make it clear that these are not early childhood educators that are working in a public school setting, but they are providers who are working in a … program regulated by the CDD.” The bill also explicitly exempts teachers licensed by AOE who hold early childhood endorsements, early childhood special education endorsements, or elementary education endorsements.

The proposal sets credentialing mechanics: initial license applications would be $175; biennial renewals were described in the draft as $250. Licenses would renew every two years; a lapsed family child care provider license could not be renewed after a lapse of two or more years. The bill would authorize transitional licenses and extend the total potential transitional period from six to eight years by permitting up to three two-year renewals plus one final two-year renewal for otherwise qualified applicants.

Appropriations language in the draft would create new OPR positions to implement the program and proposes a distribution of $1.4 million in fiscal 2027 CCFAP funds to cover the first licensure and renewal fees for early childhood educators serving in CDD-regulated programs so individuals would pay $0 for initial licensure during an initial subsidy period.

Committee members and witnesses pushed for clarity about who the bill covers, how the new credentialing paths would relate to AOE teacher licensure, and the public messaging for families. Shuran Hibbert, deputy secretary of state, explained the family child care provider legacy pathway and the six-month application window, telling the committee that legacy providers “will be eligible for that from 07/01/2027 to 01/01/2028.”

Representatives of school and principal associations raised concerns about title confusion and possible duplication with AOE licensing. Andrea Cameron, associate executive director of the Vermont School Boards Association, said the organizations “support elevating the field” but urged changes to avoid duplicative processes: “We're creating a duplicate of effort and creating more, unnecessary red tape, so to speak,” she said, and recommended limiting the bill to the new ECE 1 and ECE 2 pathways while leaving existing AOE ECE 3 teacher licensure under the Agency of Education.

Erica McLaughlin, assistant executive director of the principals association, noted existing workforce ladders and incentives for nonpublic providers and described the minimum qualifications for registered family child care homes: “The minimal qualification for a registered family child care provider is a 45 hour, Fundamentals for Early Childhood Professionals training series,” she said, listing first aid/CPR, a nine-hour orientation and background checks as base requirements regulated by CDD.

Supporters and drafters said the bill is intended to professionalize workers in private and regulated non‑public programs, broaden pathways for people with related or potentially unrelated degrees, and avoid making licensure a financial barrier by using CCFAP funds to subsidize early licensure. McGlenn told the committee the fee structure was set to avoid creating a financial incentive for providers to choose a lesser pathway and was based on staffing and regulatory cost estimates.

Committee members asked staff to provide visual charts and side‑by‑side comparisons of the proposed OPR credentials and existing AOE endorsements to clarify who would be regulated under each system. McGlenn and staff said they would provide materials and continue outreach to CDD and AOE. The committee did not take a vote on S.119; members agreed to continue deliberations and to reconvene with possible amendments and additional information from stakeholder groups.

The discussion covered licensure scope, transitional licensing, fees, grandfathering for legacy family child care providers, required oversight and complaint procedures, and fiscal supports from CCFAP to subsidize initial licensing costs.