Year Three: What\’s the plan?

by Susan Titterton, Project Coordinator

We are excited that VTAEYC’s Advancing the ECE Profession is again being funded through a grant from Let’s Grow Kids!

In Year One, it became clear that the early childhood education workforce supports advancing in this direction.

In Year Two, there was workforce agreement to align with the “Professional Identity” component, as described in Power to the Profession’s Unifying Framework. 

Year Three work will include:

• TASK FORCE: Recently published a discussion draft on “Three Designations with Aligned Preparation Pathways” to begin gathering workforce feedback. Next up is work on “Professional Compensation” and “Necessary Supports.”
• EARLY CHILDHOOD HIGHER ED CONSORTIUM:  A subcommittee has formed. Facilitated by Kaitlin Northey (UVM), they will study “Aligned Preparation Pathways” and begin to discuss the potential for Vermont to move in that direction.
• IMPLEMENTATION CONSULTANT: Dianne Carter (formerly of Child Care Aware of America), with support from the Core Team, will engage others in Vermont’s ECE Ecosystem. The aim is to build shared understanding of Power to the Profession’s Unifying Framework and to begin to consider supports and infrastructure necessary for a future ECE profession.

What else might happen in Year Three?  Here are some hopes from Task Force members:

• The workforce will be really aware, supportive and engaged in this work.
• We will have described a structure for comparable compensation with benefits.
• Families and stakeholders will be aware, across all sectors.
• This work to build cohesion and connection around the state will continue.
• We will plant the seed and start to create the habits of this new profession.

Learn more about what the Task Force is doing in Year Three here.