News & Events
Early Care and Education: Investing in Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers
Made possible through a collaboration of the Permanent Fund, the A.D. Henderson Foundation, and the Vermont Community Foundation, the Early Care and Education report explores the state of care and education for our youngest Vermonters.
Science tells us that the early years literally shape the architecture of the brain. With 71% of Vermont's babies, toddlers and preschoolers spending time with caregivers outside of the family, what sort of care and education are they experiencing during this critical window? How can we ensure every child can get off to the best start?
Download the full report at the Vermont Community Foundation's understandingvt.org
Make a gift to the Early Care and Education Fund to support the report's recommendations.
In the News:
Listen to the Mark Johnson Show interview on WDEV
Read the story on Vermont Digger
Read the story on Vermontbiz.com
On Children: The Strategy Debate Goes Public
What is the best strategy to ensure that each of the 6,000 babies born in Vermont each year is surrounded by a nurturing family? How can our state ensure that every child has access to high-quality preschool? What can guidance counselors, police officers and social workers do to support children who have an incarcerated parent?
In short, how do you build healthy, happy children and families?
And, for a private funder, what is our unique role? How can we use our resources to effect change? These are the questions we wrestle with at the Permanent Fund. Luckily, we are in excellent company. Many of our philanthropic colleagues join us in debating strategy – so many and so often, in fact, that we realized that we had some excellent writing that has been generated in the process. To keep the dialogue going with a larger audience, we decided to post some of it here: On Children.
We look forward to sharing the thoughts of Permanent Fund board members, staff and philanthropic colleagues here - and welcome your reactions. We may contradict ourselves, we may even post thoughts from our philanthropic colleagues with which we disagree. We’ll be thinking out loud (rather, online) - no promises, no commitments, no expectation that grants will necessarily follow. We are seeking to build the forum for discussion, nothing more.
So, enjoy, reply, and thanks for sharing our passion for building healthy, happy children and families.
Mentoring Emma: A Story Spanning 13+ Years
Sarah met Emma when Emma was just 5 years old. On June 13, Emma graduated from high school. Click here to read Sarah's reflections on their mentoring relationship in the Burlington Free Press.
Children with Incarcerated Parents
With increasing rates of incarceration, more and more Vermont children are being impacted by parental incarceration.
July 4, 2009 New York Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/05/us/05prison.html?_r=1&ref=global-home
April 9, 2008 Seven Days article:
http://www.7dvt.com/2008/lawmakers-move-bill-help-vermont-039-s-
children-incarcerated-parents
February 13, 2008 Vermont Public Radio, Vermont Edition:
http://www.vpr.net/flash/audio_player/audio_player.php?id=23977
Permanent Fund Commentary: What about the children?
Long-distance parental incarceration has harsh impact on children: Times Argus Online
283 Vermont Children to be Matched with Mentors
Vermont Mentors! represents a partnership of the Vermont Agency of Human Services and the Permanent Fund for the Well-Being of Vermont Children designed to increase the number of young people matched in mentoring relationships with caring adults. Thanks to Governor Douglas and the Legislature, the 2007-2008 Vermont Mentors! funds will benefit 283 children and youth who will be matched through 24 mentoring programs statewide: 2007-2008 Vermont Mentors! Grants
Coming Together for Kids-A-Part
With soaring incarceration rates that follow national trends, Vermont is home to thousands of children impacted by parental incarceration. Hundreds of people gained an increased awareness of this vulnerable population at the September 24 conference organized by the Vermont Children's Aid Society and others. Click here for the front page story on the conference that appeared in the Times Argus: Times Argus Story