VT Association for the Education of Young Children

Workforce development: vtaeyc works to create and support the skilled and dynamic workforce needed to provide high-quality early childhood Education (ece) to Vermont's Children. Our workforce development programs include teacher Education and compensation helps (t.e.a.c.h. ), apprenticeship, and the student loan repayment assistance program. T.e.a.c.h., is an evidence-based scholarship program designed to make Education affordable and accessible for those working in ece. Vermont's t.e.a.c.h. Program currently supports educators seeking apprenticeship, associate in arts (aas), and teacher licensure; vtaeyc added a bachelor's degree in fall 2021. Vtaeyc and the Vermont department of labor (VT dol) collaborate to offer the Vermont ece apprenticeship program. Apprentices document 4,000 hours of supervised on-the-job training and complete a specific sequence of six college courses. In fiscal year 2022, vtaeyc offered the first full school year of a pre- apprenticeship program to build a pipeline from high school into the ece workforce; students enrolled in career and technical Education get training and practical experience as they work in child care programs and earn hours towards a registered apprenticeship. In january 2022, vtaeyc earned a contract from the state of Vermont to offer a student loan repayment assistance program for certain early childhood educators. the program was designed and developed from january to april 2022; applications opened in may 2022. the first payments to early childhood educators occurred during the year ending june 30, 2023.

Membership: vtaeyc members are the heart of the organization, and our membership program offers benefits in collaboration with naeyc. In partnership with and in service to our members, vtaeyc works to inform, educate, and represent early childhood educators with the legislature, state administration, and other early childhood stakeholder groups.

Professional development: vtaeyc offers professional development supports to advance early childhood educators' professional practice and promote high-quality early childhood Education programs. Each year, vtaeyc hosts Vermont's largest ece professional development event, an annual fall conference, and helps plan the annual kindergarten conference.

Fiscal agent for ece projects: in 2022, vtaeyc partnered with let's grow kids to serve as the fiscal agent for ten Vermont early childhood networks, regional groups of primarily family child care programs. Professional development and quality grants and bonuses: vtaeyc also administers the Vermont child development division professional development and quality grants, level certificate bonuses, and step ahead recognition system (stars) bonuses on behalf of the state.