Vermont ranks fourth in child well-being, according to the 2023 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a 50-state report of recent household data developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzing how children and families are faring. Despite the fourth place ranking, the report also shows that our country’s lack of affordable and accessible child care short-changes children and causes parents in Vermont to change or even quit their jobs, while those who can find care are paying dearly for it. These child care challenges cost the American economy billions of dollars a year and stymie women professionally.
When it comes to creating structures that center and support impacted communities, the path we choose to take is frequently as important as where we end up. This session created enormous opportunities for child and family well-being in Vermont. In this moment, there are many reasons to celebrate. At the same time, much remains uncertain–from the bills that have passed, to the impact of the legislative path taken to get here, and ultimately whether we will be able to come together to address the needs of the nearly 600 children in our state at risk of becoming unhoused and find a path forward. We also are taking this moment to attend to what has not happened- the larger gaps that remain for children and families, and the work that lies ahead for advocates and champions of child, youth, and family well-being in Vermont.
Child poverty is a policy choice. Income support programs like Reach Up can be powerful anti-poverty tools, but if they are not adequately funded, they can hold families in poverty, which we know is harmful to children. Reach Up is difficult to explain and even more difficult to navigate. As a result, the level of extreme deprivation perpetuated by its underfunding frequently remains obscured. This update is intended to support champions like you in seeing through these complex systems in order to better understand the daily reality of families in Vermont, and we hope you’ll take a few minutes to join us.
Reach Up cash assistance. Direct cash transfers for former foster youth. State Child Tax Credit. If you are sensing a theme throughout our recent lunchtime discussions, that’s because there is one. Cash matters. Every family needs the ability to make decisions about their own needs, and on a foundational level this means access to resources, which are frequently most effective for families when they arrive in the form of cash.