State Profile | Vermont

The Afterschool Investments project has developed profiles for each state to provide a snapshot of the "state of afterschool," as well as an opportunity to compare afterschool activities across the country. This profile provides key data and descriptions of the afterschool landscape, which includes a range of out-of-school time programming that can occur before and after school, on weekends, and during summer months. It is designed to serve as a resource for policymakers, administrators, and providers.

• Quick Facts
• Statewide Initiatives
• Notable Local Initiatives
• Statewide Organizations
• Additional Resources
• Notes and Sources

Quick Facts

Demographics

For more demographic information, visit http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/statepro/index.html

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)

CCDF Administrative Overview

Settings

Where CCDF-Subsidy school age-children are served:

Uses of CCDF Targeted Funds and Quality Dollars for Afterschool

"Resource and referral and school-age" targeted funds:
Funds may be used to fund an annual afterschool conference, designate an After School Program Director within the CDD, develop a Vermont National After School Association (NAA), and provide mini-grants for the expansion of afterschool programs. Funds may also be used to partner with the Vermont Out of School Time (VOOST) Network and to support the development of Afterschool Core Competencies which have just been finalized and released.

Other quality activities:
Funds may support comprehensive consumer education, grants/loans to providers to assist in meeting state and local standards, monitoring compliance with licensing and regulatory requirements, professional development, and improving salaries for childcare providers. They may also be used for activities to promote inclusive child care, health activities related to child development, activities that increase parental choice, and other activities that improve the availability of child care.

Provider Reimbursement Rates

Tiered Reimbursement Rate System:
The State pays higher subsidy rates for providers who participate in the Step Ahead Recognition System (STARS) or who are nationally accredited.  For STARS participants, the rate increases depending on the number of STARS awarded in the following manner: one star increases the rate 4%, two stars increases the rate 8%, three stars increases the rate 12%, four stars increase the rate 17.5%, and five stars increases the rate 20%.  Programs who are nationally accredited receive a 17.5% rate differential.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care

Program Licensing Policies

Systems/Quality Supports

21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)

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Statewide Initiatives

• Vermont Center for Afterschool Excellence (VCAE). The Vermont Center for Afterschool Excellence (VCAE) brings together partners from across the state invested in working towards moving afterschool forward in Vermont. The mission of the Center is to support and sustain innovative learning opportunities beyond the school day for all Vermont children and youth.
• Advancing Professional Development. Building off Vermont’s 2007 Core Competencies for Afterschool Professionals, the multi-agency committee dedicated to this work moved forward with designing a series of key components for the foundation of a statewide Afterschool Professional Development System. These include: an Afterschool Foundations Certificate, applicable for entry-level staff in afterschool licensed settings, that requires documented training in each of the five core competency areas; an On-the-Job Training (OJT) program in partnership with the Vermont Child Care Industry and Careers Council and the Vermont Department of Labor; a Vermont Afterschool Professional Credential piloted in the past year; and the launch of a 3-step Vermont Director Credential for both early education and afterschool directors. At the same time, Vermont participated in the national Career Pathways Project for the afterschool and youth workforce, to establish linkages between wages/compensation and professional development. Policies to pay recognition bonuses for identified professional achievements have also been revised, with an expected implementation date of October 1, 2009. In addition, the Vermont Department of Education (VTDOE) has piloted several initiatives related to peer-mentoring, professional learning communities, and professional development for directors of 21st CCLC programs. VTDOE has also partnered on three regional New England conferences for 21st CCLC programs in VT, ME, MA, NE, and RI. Finally, Vermont is in its second year of partnering on a joint statewide conference for all afterschool providers in the state regardless of program type, funding source, or age levels served (grades k-12). With renewed energy and extensive strategic planning for the launch of the VCAE network, the blending of all afterschool professional development efforts is a high priority for the future.
• Vermont Northern Lights Career Development Center for Early Childhood and Afterschool Professionals works to enhance and align professional development and career planning for the project's stakeholders in Vermont. The Center continues to provide leadership in all aspects of resources and delivery for early childhood education and afterschool professionals. Located at the central offices for the Community College of Vermont (CCV), the Center also serves as a strong partner for higher education. CCV sponsors two on-line 3-credit college courses designed for the afterschool workforce that are also requirements for the Vermont Afterschool Professional Credential: "Introduction to Afterschool Education and Care"; and "Special Topics in Education: Development of the School Age Child 5-12". The Center hosts an Instructor Registry that serves as a resource for afterschool trainings and conferences, and manages the Vermont Directors Credential. The afterschool credential is hosted by the Center. All of these resources mentioned here can be found on their website.

  For more information, see http://northernlightscdc.org.

• Vermont STep Ahead Recognition System (VT-STARS). Now in its sixth year, VT-STARS program continues to work with regulated child care, early education and afterschool programs to help them achieve standards that are associated with better outcomes for children, families and the professionals who work with them. The number of participants has grown steadily since it began in 2004, with participants representing a range of program types and regional participation. VT-STARS has worked with a variety of programs to achieve greater quality. Recent revisions to the system included changes in training requirements for afterschool programs to more realistically serve the needs of part-time employees.

  For more information, see www.STARSstepahead.org

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Notable Local Initiatives

• Burlington School District. Over the past two years, the City of Burlington and Burlington Public Schools have partnered with community organizations and the Burlington Parks and Recreation Department to create a citywide model of afterschool programming for all children and youth. The model combines licensed school-age care centers at all the city’s elementary schools with 21st CCLC funding to the school district, and over $425,000 in local tax dollars to align enrichment and academic support programs with the needs of Burlington families. This citywide partnership serves as a model for other programs working to strengthen connections between existing childcare and education-based afterschool programs.

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Statewide Organizations

National AfterSchool Association Affiliate (application pending):

Vermont School Age Care Network (VSACN)
c/o Mary Johnson Children’s Center
81 Water Street
Middlebury, VT 05753
Phone: 802-388-2853
Email: vsacn@mjccvt.org
Web: http://www.mjccvt.org/VSACN

Northern Lights Career Development Center
CCV, P.O. Box 489
Montpelier VT 05601
Phone: 802-828-2876
Email: nancy.sugarman@ccv.edu
Web: http://www.northernlightscdc.org

Vermont Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies
181 Commerce Street
Williston, VT 05495
Email: VACCRRA@myfairpoint.net
Web: http://www.vermontchildcare.org/

Vermont Center for Afterschool Excellence (VCAE)
c/o Champlain Valley Educator Development Center at
Champlain College
163 S. Willard Street
Burlington, VT 05401
Phone: 802-651-5933
Fax: 802-860-2750

Vermont Child Care Industry and Careers Council (VCCICC)
145 Pine Shore Haven Road, Suite 2001
Shelburne, VT 05482
Phone: 802-985-2700
E-mail: Sue@vtchildcareindustry.org
Web: http://www.vtchildcareindustry.org

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Additional Resources

State Child Care Administrators:
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/dirs/display.cfm?title=ccdf

State TANF Contacts:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/states/tanf-dr.htm

21st Century Community Learning Centers Contacts:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/21stcclc/contacts.html

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Notes and Sources

Demographics

Total population, 2008: Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008, U.S. Census Bureau.

Number of children ages 5-12, 2008: Estimates of the Resident Population by Single-Year of Age and Sex for the United States and States: July 1, 2007, U.S. Census Bureau.

Percent of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch rate, 2006: Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Note: Most recent data.

Percent of K-12 students in Title I "schoolwide" schools, 2006: Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Schools enrolling at least 40 percent of students from poor families are eligible to use Title I funds for schoolwide programs that serve all children in the school. Note: Most recent data.

Child Care and Development Fund

The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is the largest federal funding source for child care. States receive a funding allocation determined by formula and have broad flexibility to design programs that provide child care subsidies for low-income children under the age of 13 and to enhance the quality of child care for all children. Federal CCDF funding consists of mandatory, matching, and discretionary funds. Federal law requires that states spend at least 4 percent of their CCDF funds as well as additional targeted funds on activities to improve the quality and availability of child care. CCDF administrative data in this and the following sections is from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Child Care Bureau, as reported by States, unless otherwise noted.

FFY09 CCDF Allocation: Funding allocations are based on appropriation and do not reflect any reallotted or redistributed funds that may occur at a later date.

FFY09 state MOE plus match: In order to receive Federal matching funds, a state must expend Maintenance of Effort funds. Note that this does not capture actual expenditures, only the minimum required to draw down all available federal funds.

FFY09 Tribal CCDF Allocation: Federal CCDF Funds are awarded directly to Federally-recognized Indian Tribes.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Funding: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) appropriates an additional $2 billion in one-time CCDF Discretionary funding available to State, Territory and Tribal Lead Agencies in FY09 as part of the economic stimulus package.

FFY07 total quality expenditures: This data includes FY07 and prior year funds expended for quality from each of the CCDF funding streams (mandatory, matching, and discretionary) and expenditures under targeted funds for infant and toddler, school-age care and resource and referral. This figure provides information obtained from state financial reports submitted for FY07.

Uses of CCDF Targeted Funds and Quality Dollars for Afterschool: Portions of CCDF discretionary funds are targeted specifically for resource and referral and school-age child care activities as well as for quality expansion. (These funds are in addition to the required 4 percent minimum quality expenditure.)

Maximum rate for school-age category: Rates are listed for center-based care, family child care, and license exempt programs; where rates vary by region or county, the rate for the most populated urban area is given.

Standardized monthly school-age rate: Monthly rate for a child, age 8, in care after school during the school year at a center in the most costly district for four hours per day, 20 days per month. Calculated (in the lowest tier of a tiered system) using information from the FY2008-2009 State CCDF Plan, including rate structures, as submitted to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.

Separate subsidy rates for different age ranges and Tiered Reimbursement Rate Systems: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Child Care Bureau. Report of State Plans FY2008-2009.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care

In addition to spending TANF funds directly on child care, a state may transfer up to 30 percent of its TANF grant to CCDF. Expenditures represent TANF funds spent in FY07 that were awarded in FY07 and prior years. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, available at: In addition to spending TANF funds directly on child care, a state may transfer up to 30 percent of its TANF grant to CCDF. Expenditures represent TANF funds spent in FY07 that were awarded in FY07 and prior years. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, available at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofs/data/2007/tanf_2007.html.

Program Licensing and Accreditation Policies

States with separate school-age licensing standards and states with specialized requirements for child care centers serving school-age children: National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center (NCCIC) and National Association for Regulatory Administration, 2007 Child Care Licensing Study, see: http://www.naralicensing.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=160.

Ratio of children to adults in school-age setting: Data from the National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC), available at: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov.

School-based, school-age programs exempt from licensing: Research conducted by Afterschool Investments, March 2008.

Systems/Quality Supports

School-age credential: NCCIC, State Professional Development System Credentials for Individuals, see: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/pd-credentials.html.

Statewide quality rating system: NCCIC, Quality Rating Systems: Definitions and Statewide Systems, see: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/qrs-defsystems.html.

Statewide afterschool network: National Network of Statewide Afterschool Networks, see: http://www.statewideafterschoolnetworks.net/.

21st Century Community Learning Centers

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program is a state formula grant. Funds flow to states based on their share of Title I, Part A funds. Data from the U.S. Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Centers Office and the 21st CCLC Profile and Performance Information Collection System as of July 2009.

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The Child Care Bureau awarded a technical assistance contract to The Finance Project for the Afterschool Investments project. The goals of the Afterschool Investments project include:

• Identifying ways that state and communities are using Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidy and quality dollars to support out-of-school time programs, and sharing these practices and approaches with other states;
• Identifying administrative and implementation issues related to CCDF investments in out-of-school time programs, and providing information and context (about barriers, problems, opportunities) as well as practical tools that will help CCDF administrators make decisions; and
• Identifying other major programs and sectors that are potential partners for CCDF in supporting out-of-school time programs and providing models, strategies, and tools for coordination with other programs and sectors.

Contact Us:

Email:
afterschool@financeproject.org

Web:
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/

The Finance Project
1401 New York Avenue, NW
Suite 800
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-587-1000
Web: www.financeproject.org

The Afterschool Investments project’s State Profiles are designed to provide a comprehensive overview of noteworthy State and local initiatives across the country. Inclusion of an initiative in the Profiles does not represent an endorsement of a particular policy or practice.