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What is the Vermont Early Childhood Alliance?

The Vermont Early Childhood Alliance is a statewide coalition of individuals, organizations, businesses and agencies from the private and public sectors dedicated to supporting ALL of Vermont's children during the early childhood years. We are committed to improving the early childhood experience in the areas of learning, safety, health, and food and economic security.

Today's Coalition: From KAP1 to the Alliance

Formerly known as the Kids Are Priority One Coalition (KAP1), the Alliance is not newly formed, but newly focused. It builds on KAP1's foundation by widening a network of stakeholders, providing public education on the importance of the early years, broadening a statewide early childhood agenda and engaging in policy advocacy.

The Alliance is in Phase II of its three-phase process.

Phase I - Planning

The transition from KAP1 to the Alliance began in the summer of 2012. Fully invested, a group of early childhood stakeholders created a road map to develop a coalition that would leverage existing early childhood resources and elevate voices of new allies in order to create a dynamic and powerful voice for young children and their families. The strategic planning concluded in November of 2012.

Phase II - Bridging to the Future

Today, the Alliance is beginning to develop a structure and its governing bodies that will allow individuals, organizations, businesses and agencies concerned about early childhood the opportunity to contribute to the coalition's work in a meaningful way. In its infancy, the newly focused Alliance has three core organizations, five supporting staff (hired January 2013) and over a thousand participants.

Core Organizations

  • Building Bright Futures
  • Vermont Family Network
  • Voices for Vermont's Children

OUR STAFF:

Coordinator: Robyn Freedner-Maguire strengthens the Alliance's efforts to educate the public on the need for more investment in early childhood, to widen the network of advocates and engage key stakeholders in new, innovative ways that will inform and broaden the early childhood agenda moving forward. Robyn's office will be based at Building Bright Futures and can be reached at 802-310-6683 or robynfm.alliance@vtfn.org.

Public Engagement Organizer: Kelly Ault supports a broad base of advocates in building public support for early childhood issues and engaging in meaningful conversations with policymakers on an early childhood agenda, including: organizing constituent action during the legislative session; and, coordinating Early Childhood Day at the Legislature. She is housed at Building Bright Futures and can be reached at 802-272-0795 or kault@buildingbrightfutures.org.

Legislative Advocates: Sheila Reed and Lindsay DesLauriers provide overall coordination of the policy development and legislative process for the Alliance, including: support of the Policy Committee and the development of the 2013 Legislative Agenda; and, monitoring early childhood issues in the legislature and needs for constituent action. They are housed at Voices for Vermont's Children and can be reached at 802-229-6377 or sreed@voicesforvtkids.org; LindsayD@voicesforvtkids.org.

Participants: individuals, Organizations, Businesses & Agencies in the Areas of:

  • Childcare
  • Early Education
  • After School
  • Healthcare
  • Faith Community
  • Military
  • Food Security
  • Housing
  • Anti-poverty
  • Safety
  • Parenting
  • Anti-violence
  • Advocacy
  • Business

Phase III - Developing Our Structure

While continuing to build a diverse early childhood stakeholder base, the Alliance will form a steering committee that will be reflective of a newly focused coalition. The steering committee will be composed of veteran advocates that built KAP1, lead organizations that have provided continuity during the transitional period and new or re-engaged stakeholders. The steering committee will serve as an initial core group that will design and develop governance within the Alliance and create a plan for financial sustainability.

Funding

All of this work is made possible because of the generous support of the Turrell Fund: A Foundation Serving Children. The Alliance strives to be a coalition that educates and advances policymaking that leads to meaningful investment in early childhood policy and thriving young children and their families.