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State outlines childcare supports, financial assistance and licensed spots for school‑age children
Summary
Department for Children and Families testimony summarized regulated child care capacity, childcare financial assistance and workforce/development investments; officials said DCF invests roughly $25–27.5 million annually in after‑school and summer care and licensed programs provide about 13,000 regulated childcare spots.
Department for Children and Families officials told lawmakers the state invests tens of millions annually in childcare supports, including financial assistance and workforce development, and that licensed childcare providers offer substantial capacity for school‑age children.
Janet McLaughlin, deputy commissioner for the Child Development Division, said the department invests about $27.5 million annually in after‑school and summer care and that Vermont’s regulated childcare network provides roughly 13,000 licensed spots for children up to age 13. She said about 686 regulated childcare programs currently serve school‑age children in a mix of program types including center‑based care, family child care, and school‑based programs.
Why it matters: Childcare availability and affordability are central to families’ ability to use expanded after‑school and prekindergarten offerings and to workforce participation.
Officials said childcare financial assistance serves about 3,000 school‑age children on average and that the recent expansion of income eligibility under Act 76 (the childcare payroll/tax package) expanded eligibility for school‑age families. DCF staff said contracted childcare financial assistance is used to support sustained program operations and can be used by 21st Century Community Learning Centers and other grantees that integrate regulated care models; officials described the combination of federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), general fund and the childcare special health contribution tax as program funding sources.
McLaughlin also described targeted programs that support higher needs children (Specialized Child Care) and statewide quality and workforce efforts such as the STARS quality rating and improvement system, the Room for Me capacity program (initially ARPA‑funded and later CCDF‑funded), and partnerships with Community College of Vermont for professional development.
Ending: DCF officials said they will follow up with committee members with additional information on child‑nutrition partnerships for after‑school providers and other data requested by the joint committees.
