By Eric Blaisdell
Staff Writer
MONTPELIER, Vt. — In about a month’s time the state has created a host of child care hubs to serve more than 5,000 elementary school students during remote learning.
Last month the state announced grant funding would be available to increase the number of child care providers. At his regular news conference Friday, Gov. Phil Scott said the effort was necessary to help working families.
Schools across the state have taken different approaches to reopening during the coronavirus pandemic, ranging from total in-person instruction to complete remote learning, as well as hybrid models with both in-person and remote learning. With parents going to work, finding child care during remote learning days can be difficult so the governor said the state worked quickly to get the hubs up and running.
“This work has been essential to help families during this unusual school year,” he said.
Holly Morehouse is the executive director of the nonprofit Vermont Afterschool which has been working with the state to create the hubs. Morehouse said Friday the state currently has 35 hubs with 87 locations that can serve 5,071 students.
She said it’s been a collaborative effort between the state, schools and child care providers. She highlighted others that have helped out as well, including the owner of a fitness center giving space for a program, as well as a church that did the same.
But finding locations wasn’t the only challenge. She said those working on the effort had to find staff, provide training, work out schedules and address health and safety concerns. Morehouse said she was proud of the work done to get the hubs operational.
“They are full of joy, flexibility and creativity. Staff are supporting learning, working in facial coverings all day. Finding ways to get children outside as much as possible. And playing that crucial role between home and school,” she said.
Morehouse said officials are working with child care referral specialists to find remaining areas of need in the state. She said hubs are being set up in Randolph and Manchester and officials are looking at hubs in Grand Isle and Swanton.
“We continue to move and adapt,” she said.
Visit www.vermontafterschool.org to find an interactive map of the hubs and their child care locations.
When the hubs were first announced last month, state officials believed they would need to provide about 7,300 students with child care. But Morehouse said that number decreased because not all elementary schools are doing remote learning. She said the numbers aren’t fixed and could change because, for example, a family that may not have thought it needed child care could change its mind later in the year.
Morehouse said she’s happy with the current state of the hubs but the work isn’t done.
eric.blaisdell @timesargus.com
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