Fall
2004 Newsletter click
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| See Family Voices of VT Links page
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A
family support program of Parent to Parent of Vermont advocating for
system change and providing
health care
information to families. |
Building Bright Futures: Vermont's Alliance for Children
Over the past ten years, Parent to Parent and many others in Vermont
have worked toward the establishment of a truly unified, coordinated
care, health, and education system for young children. This system is
envisioned to include integrated and specialized services for children
with special needs.
In 2002, Vermont received a technical assistance grant from the North
Carolina Smart Start program to further assist Vermont in realizing
this vision, and to support a formal planning process to develop a
strategic plan and timetable for implementation. This effort was named Building Bright Futures: Vermont's Alliance for Children.
This alliance is an innovative public private partnership comprised of
private sector providers, families, business leaders, community members
and state government decision makers designed to create a unified,
sustainable system of early care, health, and education for young
children and their families to ensure that all Vermont children will be
healthy and successful.
Under Building Bright Futures: Vermont's Alliance for Children,
a statewide partnership will help plan and coordinate early care,
health and education services for Vermont children and their families.
A local Alliance for Children office in each region of the state will
bring together parents, service providers, employers, and others at the
community level to develop their community plan for existing and new
services. This plan will inform funding decisions.
Funding streams for services that children are entitled to under law
(for example, the Family, Infant and Toddler Program under the federal
Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act) will be assured. These
services will still be connected to designated departments that will be
represented on the state and local Building Bright Futures boards.
However, some things will change. Building Bright Futures: Vermont's Alliance for Children will:
- Give Vermont's early childhood service delivery system a name and an identity that families and the public will recognize.
- Establish a more thorough and
coordinated planning process for making funding decisions. This will
give legislators a clearer picture of communities' needs, which will
help them make more informed decisions.
- Establish a funding formula to ensure fair distribution of funds to communities.
- Allow communities and the state to attract more private money to improve services.
- Actively include people in decisions about services who may not have been included in the past.
On August 30th, 2004, the efforts of
Vermont's early childhood community were rewarded when Governor Jim
Douglas issued an Executive Order to create the Transitional Board for Building Bright Futures: Vermont's Alliance for Children.
This board will develop recommendations on how to organize
representatives from the public and private sectors that will be
charged with oversight and management of Building Bright Futures: Vermont's Alliance for Children, consistent with the goals for the Building Bright Futures: Vermont's Alliance for Children strategic plan.
The Board will be comprised of of government officials from the Agency
of Human Services and the Department of Education; three business
representatives, three parents - appointed by the Governor - one
representing families with children of special health needs; one
representative from a children's advocacy organization, two
representatives from Vermont's regional partnerships, two
representatives from the Early Childhood Councils, and two legislators.
Parent to Parent of Vermont is hopeful that the development of Building Bright Futures: Vermont's Alliance for Children
will help ensure access for all young children and families, including
those with special needs, to better and more comprehensive care,
health, and education programs.
For more information check the AHS website at www.ahs.state.vt.us/EarlyChildhood/BBFutures.htm or call Kay Van Woert at (802)985-5668.
Fall 2004 - In this Issue:
Sofield Story
From Our Director
Ostrout Story
Family Support Report
SibShops Highlight
Partners In Care Conference
Family Infant and Toddler
Family
Voices of Vermont
Books & Beyond
Heartfelt Thanks
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