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House Human Services hears testimony on implementing Act 73, weighing mixed-delivery pre-K and equity
Summary
Committee members and administration witnesses debated whether to preserve Vermont's mixed public-private UPK delivery, how to equalize payment between school-based and community providers, and whether 3-year-olds should remain in pre-K as funding and JFO data are reviewed.
The House Human Services committee on Tuesday reviewed testimony and questions about implementing Act 73 and the state's Universal Pre-K (UPK) design, focusing on equity of access, funding differences between public and private providers, and the potential consequences of changing which ages or hours the program covers.
Chair opened the session by laying out the committee's central questions: should the state keep a mixed delivery system of public and private providers; how to increase geographic access in underserved areas such as the Northeast Kingdom ("only 11% of eligible children" currently have access, the Chair said); whether the state can expand pre-K hours without raising Education Fund costs; and whether UPK should cover both 3- and 4-year-olds.
Jenna McLaughlin, deputy commissioner at the Department for Children and Families' Child Development Division, told the committee Vermont has come far on UPK and that the question now is how to refine governance, funding, and coordination. "Vermont should be really proud of everything that we've done," McLaughlin said, adding that the state is "a leader nationally" but must avoid unintended consequences when changing incentives.
Members pressed for funding clarity. A committee member referenced JFO figures suggesting a per-student benchmark near $6,900 under certain Act 73 assumptions while private providers currently receive roughly $3,900, prompting discussion about why public-school payments vary by district budget choices. McLaughlin said the original indexed amount for 10 hours was set near $3,000 and has been adjusted by an index, and she cited a cost-of-care analysis estimating community programs may be $800 to $1,300 short per child per school year for the 10-hour model.
Witnesses and members repeatedly warned of ecosystem effects: if public schools expand full-day, full-year public pre-K, families may shift from community-based 0-5 programs into school offerings, creating a budget shortfall for infant and toddler care and threatening slots provided by small business childcare operators. McLaughlin urged caution: "There are too many moving pieces right now to make a big change in pre-K," she said, recommending targeted, surgical changes after the administration's UPK systems-alignment work and the legislatively mandated JFO funding study.
The committee prioritized equalizing payment between public and private settings, clarifying governance roles among Agency of Education and the Department for Children and Families, and focusing on geographic equity as near-term targets. Members asked staff to provide data on school districts drawing down Child Care Financial Assistance Program (CCFAP) dollars; McLaughlin said program staff identified 19 center-based sites currently drawing CCFAP on their pre-K license and offered to supply more district-level detail.
The panel expects to hear Agency of Education witnesses tomorrow and review draft bill language; the Chair said the committee hopes to have "something out of this committee by Thursday" so other committees can act on the recommendations.
