These are uncertain times. Not being sure if we have federal funding for human services is a scary and daunting way to work. In Vermont, Medicaid dollars are the underpinnings of all services for children and families and any work that is within the Agency of Human Services. At the Addison County Parent/Child Center, half of our budget is federally funded. This includes home visiting and services through Children’s Integrated Services, mental health, housing, food, childcare, pregnancy prevention and academics. Vermont has made good use of federal dollars, and they are the base of support systems for Vermont families.

We have made great progress in childcare affordability in the state of Vermont, but we are far from where we need to be to ensure a vibrant care system for children and one for working families in our state. While we are less dependent on federal aid than we were, Childcare subsidies are supported by the childcare block grant and TANF block grant — federal dollars covering millions of dollars of tuition and supports for young children. More than 10% of the childcare subsidies are federal. We need these dollars, or we pay more locally.

Children are the poorest Vermonters, and women are second. Our combined resources that pay for education and care are crucial to preventing the pain and. Destruction of poverty and helping to move all Vermonters forward. Without these federal and state funds, Vermont families would suffer.

Paying for childcare is a matter of priorities in our budget. Financial support helps current families, and it helps the future children and parents stay in Vermont. Our children and young families need to be able to be supported in basic services. This is the purpose of federal funding — to guarantee a safety net of support for all Americans. We want our children to grow up to be healthy and productive members of society, with the hopes and dreams of being self-reliant a possibility. Without a safety net of support that we have had for generations, we cannot guarantee this for our children.

In a nation of plenty, we can work together to move us all forward. Childcare is a critical part of our infrastructure. High-quality childcare, while not inexpensive, is crucial to childhood wellbeing and the ability for parents to work without undue stress.