Earlier this week, the Legislature passed H.217, a bill related to early childhood education. The law makes significant investments and policy changes that will impact child care in both early childhood and school-age settings.
The Child Development Division (CDD) is charged with carrying out the bulk of the law, in partnership with other state agencies and in collaboration with stakeholders. We look forward to working with you to ensure that children, families, and program staff receive the full benefit of this important law.
To facilitate shared understanding and clear communication about H.217, CDD is offering:
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A dedicated webpage for H.217 implementation. The page will be updated as new information is available, and currently provides links to the new law and registration for H.217 informational webinars from CDD. We intend for it will become a go-to resource for answers about the elements of the law, the timeline of implementation, and opportunities for input.
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H.217 webinars providing an overview of the law. These will be held on July 11th at 1pm and 6pm, and will walk through the major elements of the law, what we anticipate the timeline for implementation to be, and where we have identified early opportunities for public input. Please register to attend the July 11 1PM webinar here, and the 6PM webinar here.
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Responses to your immediate H.217 questions. Please send your early questions and input to ahs.dcfcddinfo@vermont.gov. We will get back to you directly, and your questions will also inform additional communications to the field (ex: FAQ documents).
The law includes policy changes with different dates for implementation and directions for various committees, reports, and recommendations. Some changes will go into effect July 1, 2023; many of the most significant changes will take place in 2024. CDD plans to share a comprehensive overview at the July 11th webinar, and will send regular updates on “what you can expect when” in the coming months.
One key early change will be how the state’s reimbursement rates for the Child Care Financial Assistance Program (CCFAP) are set. Beginning in July, CCFAP payments will no longer be tied to a program’s STARS rating. The base rate for all programs will be set at what is currently the 5-star rate. We will send an email out next week (the week of June 26th) with more details on this change.
Again, we look forward to working with you to implement this law and meet Vermont’s commitment to the well-being of our children and families.