Child care concern spurs state action
A scenic view from North Bridgewater Road in Bridgewater, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Vermont is moving to increase child care capacity in anticipation of great need for those services once schools reopen Sept. 8.
In remarks to the media on Tuesday, Gov. Phil Scott acknowledged the challenges faced by parents having to grapple with different school schedules. Most schools are implementing hybrid plans for remote and in-person learning amid the pandemic. A key concern: child care for young school-aged children on remote-learning days.
“We know we need more child care capacity, and we need it quickly,” Scott said.
With an executive order Tuesday, the governor allowed home-based providers to be reimbursed by the state for more than 4 hours of care per day for school-aged children (that is usually capped at 4 hours). Scott said that rule change is expected to add more than 3,000 child care slots in Vermont. Officials also announced a new effort to create 73 local child care hubs for school-aged children during remote-learning days. That effort is expected to add up to 7,000 slots.
Over the next month, the Department for Children and Families (DCF) will work with community partners to create those child care hubs. Pending legislative approval, the state is allocating $12 million in federal relief money to expand child care options, with $7 million of that total going to the hubs.
Child care hub locations have not been determined. Scott said the state and its partners will consider “appropriate business and municipal spaces” for those new sites, which will follow the existing COVID guidance required of summer camps. The state is also taking steps to expedite the application process to create the hubs, while making sure all health and safety requirements are followed, according to Mike Smith, the state’s secretary of human services.
This was a crucial development for Vermont, as concerns have been building quickly over child-care needs throughout the state. At Tuesday’s presser, Smith unveiled an alarming statistic based on a recent analysis by DCF: If 25 percent of K-6 students require child care during remote learning days, that is the equivalent to 10,300 new child care slots. That number clearly shows it was time to take action.
As with all plans during the pandemic, this one will require constant review and attention to ensure the best outcomes, and more support will likely be needed. But the child care sector is critical for the sustainability of our communities and the economy, and Tuesday’s announcement was an important step forward.
— Gareth Henderson
