March 24, 2008

Many of us have been talking with our legislators about the child care subsidy issues, and we are definitely making headway. Despite the tighest budget situation in years (due largely to lower-than-anticipated revenue projections), House Appropriations Committee member Alice Miller (D-Shaftsbury) argued persuasively last week to fellow Committee members for the legislature to begin to incrementally increase funding for the subsidy program until we reach current eligibility guidelines and market rates. Her call to action was supported by Appropriations Committee Chair Martha Heath (D-Westford).

We still have a long way to go before the legislature commits the estimated $18 million needed to address the subsidy program's funding shortfall so we have to let legislators know we care about this issue. The Appropriations Committee is debating the human services budget right now. Please take a minute today or tomorrow to contact members of the House Appropriations Committee, the House Human Services Committee, and your own legislators.

The message: "Dear [insert your legislators' names], Members of the House Appropriations and Human Services Committee, Thank you for considering fully funding the Child Care Subsidy Program. We understand how tight the state's finances are right now, and we appreciate that you understand this is one of those investments where the pay-off is immediate and long term. More children get a good start in life, and more parents can enter or stay in the workforce. Without quality child care, Vermont doesn't work!"

To contact your legislator by phone, call 1-800-322-5616 and leave a message with the Sergeant-at-Arms at the State House.

To email the Appropriations Committee and the House Human Services Committee, copy and paste these email addresses (plus those of your own legislators) into one email:

House Appropriations Committee
mpheath@aol.com
mlarson@leg.state.vt.us
rhelm@leg.state.vt.us
acinapur@together.net
dbostic@leg.state.vt.us
pdhunt@leg.state.vt.us
JHutchinson@leg.state.vt.us
mjohnson@leg.state.vt.us
kkeenan@leg.state.vt.us
amiller@leg.state.vt.us
jmorley@leg.state.vt.us

House Human Services Committee
apugh@leg.state.vt.us
mfisher@leg.state.vt.us
adonahue@leg.state.vt.us
MAndrews@leg.state.vt.us
Rep.BillFrank@verizon.net
pfrench@leg.state.vt.us
SHaas@leg.state.vt.us
nmcallister@leg.state.vt.us
mmorrissey@leg.state.vt.us
mmrowicki@leg.state.vt.us
scottorrforhouse@yahoo.com

To find your own legislators, go to the Kids Are Priority One Web site.

Your email message doesn't need to be long--just enough to let legislators know there is a lot of political support for making this investment in Vermont's young children and the economy.

We will be sending a separate report of events on the subsidy issue. In the meantime, we need to keep the need for increases in the subsidy program in front of policymakers as they vote on their budget priorities.

For more information, contact Barbara Postman, Policy Coordinator for the Kids Are Priority One Coalition, at (802) 229-6377 or bpostman@voicesforvtkids.org.