This week Governor Phil Scott and his administration announced a major child care initiative for Vermont that they’re working to pull together in the next few weeks.
For several weeks, Governor Scott has been urging parents and school districts and educators to return to the classroom. He’s expressed grave concerns about potential educational disparities if some parents hire tutors and create learning pods for their children, while other parents do not have that choice. He’s voiced deep fears about a generation of children falling irreparably behind.
The state’s plan to invest $12 million in federal CARES funds in child care openly acknowledges what we all know and that is that as a society we’ve made our schools responsible for things that social services programs should manage. Parents can’t work if they are home with their children. Not everyone can work remotely. Kids whose parents have to report for duty cannot be left home alone.
This initiative will stand up 73 child care learning hubs throughout the state, including six in Washington County. At these hubs, kids can learn remotely with supervision by educators. Scott et al also announced plans to compensate in-home day care providers for up to four hours a day on remote learning days. Plans to provide day care for educators’ children are also part of this plan.
Is it enough? Probably not. Health and Human Services secretary Mike Smith said as much at an August 18 press conference. Not only will it not meet all the need, but Smith said he expected to have to pay a premium for the hub educators and said the state would probably need to pay a sign-on bonus as well.
And it has to be done. Parents have to go to work. Children need to be educated whether in the classroom or at a hub or at an in-home day care. While our COVID rates are low and we may be able to evolve to five days a week in-person learning, we just don’t know. Gov. Scott’s plans are a good start towards making sure kids can learn.
Educating children is one of the most crucial things that we can do as good human beings, as citizens of Vermont and as supporters of our democracy.
