1. Building Bright Futures Board
A Framework for Action
August 24, 2006

2. Vision Vermont children are healthy and successful
Pregnant women and young children thrive
Children are ready for, and succeed, in school
Children live in stable and supported families
Communities provide safety and support for families and individuals

3. Purpose Building Bright Futures seeks to:
Improve the quality of services for families with children under the age of six and/or expecting a child
Establish a formal system for planning, coordinating, integrating and developing early childhood programs, policies, information and resources at the State and regional levels.

4. The Brutal Facts 41,000 children under the age of 6
13,000 children are preschoolers
School age population is shrinking
Overall demographics of VT aging
Socio-economic pressures will increase
71.3% of all women with children under 6 are in the labor force

5. More Facts
30,000 children are in out of home early care and education programs
About 50% of all children entering kindergarten are not considered ready to learn in all areas assessed
5,500 children under 6 live in households with incomes at or below federal poverty level
30% of 2 – 4 yr olds in WIC are overweight or at risk for obesity
33% of women enrolled in WIC smoke

6. The “System”

7. Our Charge
Support the creation of an integrated system of early childhood care, health and education.
Develop a statewide plan for the coordination and integration of early childhood services.
Advise the administration and legislature on the status and needs of the early childhood care, health and education system.
Promote the integration of agency and departmental budgets to improve outcomes.
Develop a common system for reporting of statewide outcomes for children in conjunction with set targets.
Address policies and regulations that pose barriers in serving families.
Guide and coordinate policy development for all issues related to children under the age of six with an emphasis on those areas which cross departmental lines and involve both the public and private sector.
Support planning for the coordination and integration of early childhood services at the local level.

8. Our Charge
Ensure that every region in Vermont develops a Building Bright Futures Council that meets the guidelines established by the State Council with the technical assistance as needed.
Ensure the capacity of working committees as needed to support the integrated system with liaisons to the Regional Councils.
Pursue adequate funding from the private and public sector to deliver high quality early care, health and education services.
Hire and supervise an executive director and hire or assign other staff as is necessary to the development of Building Bright Futures.
Affiliate with other organizations as necessary to carry out the work of Building Bright Futures including establishing a formal relationship with statewide organizations representing businesses, employers and employees.

9. Next Steps
Determine how we start looking at the needs of young children as a system rather than individual programs
Determine how we develop a clear plan of action and governance structure to effectively move forward