LUDLOW, Vt. – Aly Richards, CEO of Let’s Grow Kids, and Emily Blistein, business strategy director of the organization, were featured speakers at a recent Ludlow Rotary Club meeting. They both discussed the purpose and objectives of the “Let’s Grow Kids” project, headquartered in Burlington.
“Let’s Grow Kids” is a project whose aim is to create “a road to high-quality child care for all Vermont families by the year 2025.” As noted by Aly, the organization has an unusual objective in addition to its prime purpose. “We want to go out of business in 2025,” exclaimed Aly, noting that they wished to succeed in creating high-quality childcare by that year.
In describing the current conditions of childcare services in the state, she noted these key elements that needed to be addressed:
- Three out of every five Vermont children do not have access to good childcare
- Thirty percent of a family’s income is spent on childcare
- Childcare personnel only receive an average of $13 an hour
Aly indicated that over 30,000 Vermonters have already joined them in supporting the group’s objectives.
One major part of the program’s purpose was realized this year when the state Legislature passed H.171, a bill that allocated $12.7 million to address four major child care issues: family childcare support, childcare worker salaries, infrastructure improvement, and an analysis of existing childcare programs in the state.
Emily Blistein spoke of the need for business and corporate support to underwrite the programs operated by “Let’s Grow Kids.” Information on how businesses may participate in this effort may be secured by contacting her at emily@letsgrowkids.org.
More information is available at www.letsgrowkids.org.