Vermont Ski Resorts Step Up for Families and the Local Workforce

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 is high, the shortage of child care has become a major barrier to hiring and retaining staff. Workers can’t take jobs if they don’t have care for their children, and ski areas can’t operate without those workers and their families. What was once seen as only a personal, family issue has become a core business concern. 

That’s where First Children’s Finance VT comes in. With a focus on the business side of early care and education, FCF supports the growth, long-term planning, and financial stability of these child care operations. Their support is helping ski towns turn a workforce challenge into a long-term strategy for economic stability. 

At Stratton Mountain Resort, the Stratton Child Care Center is one of the only programs in the region that serves infants and toddlers. Open nearly every week throughout the year, it even offers weekend care during ski season, providing a rare and essential option for people with children who live and work in the area. Demand has risen sharply, especially for infant care. 

“We’ve seen a big increase in interest from local families looking for infant care,” said Kristin Menzies, director of the Stratton Child Care Center. “We want to support families as their children grow, starting with the right materials and classroom setup for our youngest learners.” 

Menzies grew up skiing at Stratton, studied early childhood education at UVM, and eventually returned to the mountain to build her career. She now directs the resort’s child care center and is raising her own child in the same community where she learned to ski. 

“Our center is part of the resort, but our mission is about serving the wider community,” she said. “This is the only program in the immediate area that offers care for infants and toddlers. If we don’t grow, families will keep going without care or leave the area entirely.” 

A Make Way for Kids grant, along with guidance from FCF, is helping Stratton expand and reorganize its classrooms. The goal is to better support infants and smooth the transition as children move into toddler care. 

Killington designed its child care program around the realities of resort life. It stays open more than 60 hours per week in the winter, including weekends and holidays, and adjusts its hours in the off-season while still maintaining year-round availability. There is no other licensed child care in Killington or the nearby towns of Pittsfield and Mendon. 

“We are meeting a need that no one else is set up to meet,” said Jordan Spear, director of the Pico/Killington Child Care Center. “Hospitality workers often work weekends and holidays, and we’re here when most other programs are closed.” 

The program operates in an older facility not originally built for full-time care, which presents challenges. But with support from FCF, the team is building a stronger financial and operational foundation. This includes facility upgrades, a new tuition structure, staffing plan, and mixed-age curriculum aligned with Vermont’s STARS system. 

“We’re offering competitive wages and benefits that make this a place where educators want to stay,” said Spear. “At the same time, we’re building a financial foundation that doesn’t depend on accepting losses.” 

At Jay Peak, the focus has been on long-term financial stability. With support from FCF, the center updated its tuition model to sustain staffing and long-term operations. It now serves Jay Peak employees and residents year-round, in addition to offering seasonal child care to resort guests. 

“We’re a major employer in a rural area. When we support child care, we’re not just helping our workers. We’re investing in the entire region,” said Shannon Edmonds-Folsom, director of the Jay Peak child care program. “This isn’t a luxury. It’s part of our workforce strategy.”

In Stowe, Cubs Child Care is taking steps to close a persistent gap in available slots for infants and toddlers. The program currently serves 24 children and, with support from FCF, is expanding to add three new infant spaces and four toddler spaces. These additions may seem modest, but in a county where 267 infants and 131 toddlers need care, every spot makes a difference. 

“This project has created a great impression on the families in our community. We have built our center into a beautiful and calming space that is filled with developmentally appropriate activities and materials. By providing high-quality education, we have created a safe learning space for the children in our area to flourish.” said Julia Musto, director of Cubs Child Care. 

The project includes upgrading the infant room with new gates, panels, toys, and board books, along with a ceiling mirror to improve safety and visibility. For toddlers, the expansion provides four new cribs, as well as additional toys and books. By creating space for more children while enhancing classroom quality, Cubs Child Care is directly responding to the shortage of early care in Stowe and the broader Lamoille County community. 

For all four resorts, child care is no longer treated as a side benefit; it’s essential infrastructure.  

There is still a long way to go. Infant care is costly, licensing takes time, and staffing remains a challenge. But these ski towns are showing what it looks like when early childhood education is treated as a shared investment. Now we just wait for the snow.