In Vermont, housing is on everyone’s minds these days – how to build more of it, and how to make it affordable for more families. There are many ideas about increasing funding and reducing regulations to make it more attractive for developers to build in Vermont. But housing is directly connected to another challenge facing communities across the state: access to child … Continued
Sitting along the southern edge of Iowa, Decatur County and its 7,500 residents faced a struggle common to many rural areas: lack of accessible child care. “The child care landscape in rural areas is a struggle,” says Shannon Erb, chief operating officer of Decatur County Hospital. “Not only was there a lack of available child care, but it’s expensive to provide, and parents often are not in jobs that can pay for high-cost child care.” Community leaders knew that something needed to … Continued
By Anne McSweeney, Director of National Initiatives Across the country, state and local leaders agree on the challenge: child care jobs are among the lowest-paid in the economy, workforce shortages are profound, and program sustainability is fragile. Increasing compensation is essential—but how those investments are designed and implemented can determine whether they truly strengthen the … Continued
By Jannan Cotto, Systems Coordinator, Ekinoonaad (the one who guides) Across the country, Tribal Nations are building early childhood systems as part of broader nation-building efforts. These systems are not only about care and education—they are critical infrastructure that support families, strengthen workforce participation, and contribute to long-term economic stability within Tribal communities. They also … Continued
By Raelyn Duening At First Children’s Finance, our National Team spends each day working at the intersection of policy, practice, and the real-world experiences of child care businesses. We step back to look across communities and states, identifying what’s working-and where systems are falling short. One challenge that continues to surface: While significant efforts and … Continued
Sitting less than 100 miles from the Canadian border, the people and businesses of Thief River Falls, MN, know that they often need to solve problems for themselves. The rural town of about 8,800 people is surrounded by excellent walleye fishing, winter activities, and miles of open countryside. It’s also home to DigiKey, one of the largest distributors of electronic components and automation products. DigiKey employs about 3,400 people in Thief River Falls and nearly … Continued
By Ellen Nikodym, Child Care Systems Coordinator Nationally – and historically in Vermont – family child care has often been perceived as low-earning, undervalued work. However, recent cost modeling in Vermont reveals it is feasible to operate a family child care home and have business earnings roughly on par with median wages in the state. … Continued
Early childhood educators aren’t just caring for children. They’re building small businesses, leading teams, and creating essential community infrastructure. First Children’s Finance Vermont partners with child care business owners to strengthen the foundations that make high-quality care possible. By investing in leadership development, FCF equips directors with practical tools to improve sustainability, expand capacity, and lead programs that fuel local economies. With increased … Continued
Vermont’s ski resorts keep the state’s rural economy moving. They generate more than $1.6 billion in annual tourism revenue and support roughly 13,000 jobs. Behind every open lift and lodge is a workforce that relies on something ski towns increasingly lack: child care. In resort communities, where housing is limited and the cost of living … Continued
February 11, 2026 On January 5, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a proposed rule that would rescind several core provisions of the 2024 Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) final rule — provisions designed to strengthen affordability for families and stabilize payments to child care providers. The 2024 rule addressed long-standing structural challenges … Continued
By Amanda Saillant, Child Care Systems Analyst Supply demand gap analyses are a critical tool for understanding the availability of child care relative to the needs of families and employers in a given community. At their core, these analyses estimate how many child care seats are available, how many children are likely to need care, … Continued
Across Vermont, classrooms that once served students five and older are being reimagined for the state’s youngest learners. With enrollment declines and demographic shifts reshaping local education landscapes, communities are finding new ways to keep these spaces vibrant and useful. Filling community gaps The Growing Tree in Addison and the Salisbury Family Center in Salisbury … Continued
By Anne McSweeney, Director of National Initiatives A handful of pioneering states have unlocked unprecedented funding for early childhood education, moving ever closer to fully financed child care systems with adequate access, high quality care, and a well-compensated workforce. At the same time, child care workers and owners across the country are an aging demographic, … Continued
By Abigail Sylvester, Chief Program Officer, First Children’s Finance At the NASLEE Roundtable in Pittsburgh, I sat alongside national experts for a panel discussion about the state of the early learning and care workforce— its history, its challenges, and its future. Albert Wat from the Alliance for Early Success skillfully moderated a conversation with Arabella … Continued