History

In July 2000 Windham Child Care Association and Unified Voice for Children of Chittenden County organized an all-day, statewide Early Childhood Activists' Retreat at the home of Senator Jean Ankeney. This retreat helped set the stage for the formation of Kids Are Priority One in September 2000 by four organizations ("sponsoring organizations"):

  • Parent to Parent of Vermont
  • Vermont Child Care Providers' Association
  • Voices for Vermont's Children
  • Windham Child Care Association
Representatives from these four organizations formed the coalition's Organizing Committee, which continues to oversee it.

An Early Childhood Strategic Planning Retreat, convened by the Vermont Community Foundation in November 2000, helped to flesh out the coalition's initial policy agenda. (See Policy Agenda for information on how the coalition's annual policy agenda is set.)