On August 11, 2021

High-quality child care is a unifying challenge

Dear Editor,

Virtually every business owner or manager Green Mountain Economic Development Corp. works with as the regional development corporation for Windsor and Orange counties, cites the lack of decent housing and child care as the most important factors hampering recovery from Covid.

We believe this is true throughout New England and beyond. Both were well-known issues beforehand but are obvious to everyone now. They cut across all professions, income levels, genders, ethnicities, political persuasions and locations, and they influence decisions about returning to work, expanding hours, finding a new job, moving to Vermont, or moving to a different place in-state.

As we learned in the 1970s when public kindergarten became a viable option for everyone in Vermont, the positive results for children enrolled in well-run programs are substantial and irrefutable. It is strange and very sad therefore that the old Nixon-era arguments against publicly funded kindergarten are now being voiced by some against increasing funding for high-quality child care and pre-K for single parents or families who require that option.

For those Vermonters who feel their children would be better served at home and can afford that solution, they would remain free to do so, as they are with home schooling.

It is unfortunate that the U.S. lags behind most other industrialized countries, 36th out of 37 in one study, in providing a viable solution. As Gov. Scott frequently says, the most important stages of human development begin at birth, determining a good future and success in life.

The quality of any program is influenced by funding, and it requires careful consideration and deliberation. This is true of all decisions about public benefits, including transportation, safety, health and education, and the societal and economic costs of not dealing with the existing lack of high-quality child care are not something we can ignore any longer. The alternative is quite ugly, and I am reminded of the old saying, “You get what you pay for.”

I encourage you to speak to your employer or employees, elected officials, child care center operators and educators to see what you can learn about the status of child care in your region, plans to respond to the shortage, methods to fund them, and how you can help.

Please keep the lack of housing in mind as well and thank you for considering these issues.

Robert Haynes, Randolph

Haynew was executive director of Green Mountain Economic Development Corp. from 2015-2021 and now leads the corporation’s development efforts for a large regional child care center in Randolph.

Do you want to submit feedback to the editor?

Send Us An Email!

Related Posts

Before school budget talks turn to slashing expenses

November 20, 2024
By Angelo Lynn Editor’s note: Angelo Lynn is the owner and publisher of the Addison Independent, a sister paper of the Mountain Times.  With 2024-25 education property tax rate hikes well into double digits last year, it’s little doubt school boards will be primed for holding costs to a minimum for their upcoming budgets. Already…

Keep pets safe this trapping season

November 20, 2024
Dear Editor, The recreational trapping season in Vermont begins on the fourth Saturday of October each year and lasts through March 31st. For some animals, like otters and beavers, this season lasts for five long months. There are no limits on the number of animals a trapper may kill or on the number of traps…

‘You belong here’

November 20, 2024
Dear Editor, A Latin teacher from junior high school once told me that the word “trivia” comes from roots, meaning three roads. The idea was that people would come together where roads meet to exchange small pieces of information — trivia. Here in Vermont, we certainly swap news on street corners, and I’ve had my…

Welcoming new Americans will strengthen Vt’s economy

November 20, 2024
By Mike Pieciak, Vermont State Treasurer As Vermont’s Treasurer, I am committed to growing Vermont’s economy and building a more inclusive future for our state. To keep our economy on a positive track, we must address our demographic challenges and grow our workforce. I regularly hear from employers about the difficulty of finding workers —…