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The child care advocacy group Let’s Grow Kids is looking to the future — not just to the next generation of children, but to next year’s legislative session.
On Wednesday, advocates, business leaders and lawmakers gathered on the Statehouse steps to rally early support for a publicly funded child care system in Vermont. No such proposal is before lawmakers this year. But the Legislature in 2021 commissioned a report, due back next year, that will price out a proposal and offer ideas on how to pay for it, and advocates are teeing up momentum for 2023.
Let’s Grow Kids estimates that a publicly funded child care system could have a nearly $756 million annual economic impact on the state, from saving Vermont families $99 million annually on expensive child care, to allowing more parents to enter or fully participate in the workforce.
“Oh, and by the way, this is a good thing to do for kids and for families,” Let’s Grow Kids CEO Aly Richards said. “That’s just the fiscal impact. But this is the right thing to do for our kids and families that promote their healthy development.”
Joining the adults on Wednesday were numerous children, bused in from local child care centers. They snacked on their packed lunches while holding signs they made to support their teachers. In little kid handwriting with black marker, they read, “Teachers need to live” and “I love my teachers.” On the backs of the signs were glued-on dandelions and flowers.
Vermont’s lack of affordable child care has been front of mind for Gov. Phil Scott and legislators for years, but neither have yet to bite the bullet and try to push through any major reforms, which would likely cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Supporters saw a glimmer of hope as President Joe Biden touted a national solution, but when his Build Back Better budget was squandered, so was hope for a federal fix-all.
So here we are. Vermont lacks the child care slots needed to meet demand, and when parents can snag a spot for their kids, it’s expensive. Child care tuition for an infant can cost more than $15,000 per year, and for two kids, over $29,000 per year.
Plus, early childhood educators are having a tough time making ends meet; the median annual wage for a child care worker in Vermont is under $31,000. Mark Foley, CEO of Foley Services in Rutland, said that child care workers are the “invisible workforce behind Vermont’s workforce.”
“They’re not babysitting. They’re not simply keeping children safe so their parents can work for companies like ours,” he said. “These early childhood educators are responsible for guiding our young Vermonters through the most important years of human development.”
— Sarah Mearhoff
IN THE KNOW
Mike Pieciak is stepping down.
Gov. Phil Scott announced on Wednesday afternoon that Pieciak, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation, will depart next month “to pursue other opportunities.”
During his eight years at the department, Pieciak helped recoup millions for the state and began investigations into the EB-5 fraud at Jay Peak. He also played a prominent role in the governor’s regular press conferences during the pandemic, presenting data on Covid-19 case counts, hospitalizations and other trends related to the public health crisis.
— Ethan Weinstein
ON THE MOVE
The Vermont House gave final approval to a pension deal brokered between lawmakers and the state’s teachers and state employee unions, advancing a bill that would trim an estimated $2 billion from the state’s unfunded retirement liabilities.
S.286 would enact into law a package of recommendations put forward by a special task force composed of lawmakers and labor representatives, in which both employees and the state would pay in more.
Labor unions agreed that workers would contribute at higher rates and see modest benefit adjustments. And lawmakers agreed to a $200 million lump-sum payment and promised to reinvest the investment dividends from higher worker contributions and the one-time state payment into more aggressively paying off the system’s debts.
— Lola Duffort
The House voted Wednesday to give preliminary approval to S.287, a bill that would upgrade the state’s school funding formula.
The bill would reconfigure the state’s pupil weights, mathematical components of the state’s education funding system that are intended to distribute school funds to those students who need it most.
A third reading of the bill is expected in the coming days, after which the House and Senate would reconcile their versions before sending it to Gov. Phil Scott.
— Peter D’Auria
Last-minute changes to the National Guard tuition benefit bill, H.517, sparked discussion on the Senate floor on Wednesday.
The Senate Education Committee tacked on an amendment to create eligibility criteria for someone to be elected adjutant or inspector general of the Vermont National Guard — the guard’s top leadership roles.
Vermont is now the only state where the Legislature elects the guard’s top leaders, rather than appointing them.
Some senators raised concerns about how the amendments were added into the bill — as they were not specific to education, and seem to circumvent the wishes of relevant committees in the House.
— Riley Robinson
ON THE FIFTH FLOOR
Gov. Phil Scott signed S.74 into law Wednesday, amending Vermont’s medical-aid-in-dying statute. Advocates for the changes said S.74 would make the medical-aid-in-dying process more accessible for terminally ill Vermonters.
Vermont’s medical aid in dying law has been in effect since 2013. It set up a multi-step process to request a life-ending prescription for any patient with a prognosis of six months or less to live.
Under the original law, the patient had to make two in-person requests to a prescribing physician, visit another consulting physician in person and submit a written request.
After all these steps were completed, the patient had to wait an additional 48 hours to obtain a prescription.
With S.74, patients will now be able to request the prescription using telemedicine. S.74 also got rid of the final 48-hour waiting period.
It also adds explicit legal immunity for all licensed health care workers involved in the process, including the pharmacist who fills the prescription.
— Riley Robinson
WHAT WE’RE READING
When will your school get tested for PCBs? (VTDigger)
Agency of Natural Resources urges lawmakers to bolster funds for environmental justice bill (VTDigger)
Equity audit calls Winooski ‘diverse but not inclusive’ (VTDigger)
Bannon is helping a Vermont crypto bro get elected to the Senate (Politico)
