Addison County is at the forefront of childcare in Vermont

Addison County has long been revered as a leader in early childhood education in Vermont for a number of reasons. It boasts high-quality, long-standing programs with clear philosophical beliefs that children come first in all we do.

At Mary Johnson Children’s Center, we believe in the power of experiences that engage children deeply, sparking wonder and exploration. One such experience that has captivated both children and teachers is needle felting, an artistic and sensory-rich acti … (read more)

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.

Childcare is essential for working parents and the economy. But most importantly high-quality childcare is essential for a child’s development.

Therapeutic childcare is a deep dive into social emotional development with a lens on building resiliency, strengthening and developing executive functioning skills, and on healthy attachments.

There is a small sign at our preschool, titled “Messages In The Environment,” for adults to read, detailing the kind of environment we want to be presenting to children.

Tasha Ball of the Willowell Foundation talks with Taryn Levy, who has been a physical therapist for 22 years, working in pediatrics for 20 years.

Securing a childcare spot can still be a daunting proposition for new parents and recent transplants, as local centers are pretty much full and compiling waiting lists. But that could soon change.

Families participating in WIC can buy healthy foods each month using a WIC EBT card at WIC-approved grocery stores.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture this month canceled two programs supporting the purchase and distribution of local food, including an initiative that provided funding for Vermont school districts to buy and serve food from area farms and food producers … (read more)

The Addison Central School District board will hold a special meeting on Monday, March 31, to discuss — and potentially decide on — the future of Ripton Elementary School. It’s a meeting that’ll be held in open session, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Middl … (read more)

Orwell voters will go to the polls on April 15 to consider a revised fiscal year 2026 Slate Valley School District that is $463,256 less than the spending plan voters rejected, 1,181-720, on Town Meeting Day.

Voter anger over property taxes has led to angst this winter in the Statehouse. A legislative leader recently urged fellow legislators and all Vermonters to discard “preconceived notions” about the issue.

For more than 200 years, Ripton schools have rated high marks among local citizens for the way they’ve nourished local children intellectually, emotionally and in intangible ways. But a simple case of math could be on the verge of forcing its undoing — ma … (read more)

When the U.S. Department of Education announced last week that it would fire more than 1,300 (nearly 50%) of its employees, it marked another step in line with President Donald Trump’s plans to ultimately dismantle the agency.