Otter Creek Child Center expansion project nears completion

Otter Creek Child Center’s 12,000-square-foot addition will allow the organization to increase staffing, add new classrooms, serve 77 more children, and be fully ADA compliant.

New childcare center opens in former Addison school

The Growing Tree, a full-day childcare and preschool program for children ages 32 months to five years, recently opened in the Addison Community Center.

ACSD families embrace universal pre-K

There are now nearly 400 Addison County children enrolled in Universal PreK (UPK) programs — 158 of those from the Middlebury area alone. This is a number that could grow significantly next year even as the number of Addison County children continues to d … (read more)

Letter to the editor: Childcare bill comes at a price

I recall my family’s struggle with childcare years ago. Paying to be on wait lists, commuting in separate directions each morning, short notice sick days — not to mention cost. Childcare is certainly another Vermont challenge exacerbated by a small and ag … (read more)

Children are back at the old Salisbury school

An oft-repeated African proverb posits that it takes a village to raise a child. In Salisbury, it took a community to launch a new childcare center.

Editorial: Act 76 helps solve a marketplace problem

The almost immediate impact Act 76 has had on Vermont’s childcare industry is not only hopeful but demonstrates how a targeted government program can help solve a problem in the marketplace.

A year after Act 76, childcare offerings surge

A recent, massive infusion of new money into Vermont’s childcare system through a new law has helped create 1,000 new slots statewide and spurred a renaissance in the industry here in Addison County, which had sustained major losses in childcare offerings … (read more)

Addison County gets a new childcare coordinator

Longtime childcare worker Ashley Bessette of New Haven was recently appointed as the Addison County Universal Pre-K Coordinator. She is replacing the previous UPK coordinator, Meg Baker, who will be taking on a new role at the University of Vermont.

Otter Creek Child Center expansion underway

As of June 2024, the Otter Creek Child Center’s expansion project officially began construction at 150 Weybridge St in Middlebury.

Profiles: Evergreen Preschool helps bring up good kids

“Working with kids is some of the best therapy around. Their curiosity, innocence, and unconditional love is so heartwarming,” said Ashley Bessette.

Early Childhood Guide: Childcare tuition assistance for more Vermont families

Progress toward Vermont’s childcare solution is underway as Act 76 rolls out. This year, over 7,000 more families will become eligible for childcare tuition assistance from the state. Here’s what you need to know.

Letter to the editor: Childcare payroll tax misguided

The shortage of child care is the fault of Vermont because of all the regulated rules that caused the closings of child care providers in the state.

Salisbury childcare center plan hits snag

State rules governing public water systems could drown a plan to establish a new childcare center in a portion of Salisbury’s former elementary school building.

Otter Creek Child Center earns town OK for expansion

The project, dubbed the “Community Children’s Center Expansion Project,” calls for a new, 6,900-square-foot addition at the OCCC, along with renovations to the existing building and related site improvements.

Big projects to bring more childcare slots

The Middlebury area will see a major infusion of much-needed childcare slots during the next two years, thanks to a big expansion of an established center and the launch of a new one.

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