About Us >> How We Do It

The Early Childhood Council is the main decision making body of Building Bright Futures of Chittenden County.  It strives to be as diverse as possible in representation.   It acts to educate its members and advocate for high quality, affordable and accessible early childhood services that meet the needs of families.  Its mission (above) and operating principles guide its work. 

download the operating principles here (.doc)

The monthly meetings are a place to share information, set goals, hear presentations, make decisions and evaluate how well we are working together to meet our goals.  We create and implement action plans based on identified needs and trends in our community.  We also review and endorse projects taking place in our county and respond to state-wide initiatives and trends. The Council approves CONNECTION plans and budgets, hires the Director, and selects co-chairs and Executive Committee members.

Council meetings are always open and welcome all.   We have 17 voting members in order to have a consistent base of participants.  

For a list of our voting council members and Executive Committee members, please visit Contact Information.

Download the Application to Be a Voting Council Member (.doc)

Connecting across the region and state-wide is a priority for Building Bright Futures of Chittenden County.  The Coordinator of Building Bright Futures of Chittenden County and other members of the Council are active participants in regional and state-wide groups.  This keeps us informed and ensures that we are part of the decisions and actions concerning the conditions of young children and their families. 

Some of the Regional teams in which Building Bright Futures of Chittenden County is active include the Maternal Child Health Coalition, Agency of Human Services District Leadership Team, KidSafe Collaborative Council, Refugee and Immigrant Service Provider Network, Champlain Initiative and others.

Committees of the Council take action on what needs to be done as decided by the Council.  They also bring information and concerns back to the Council for review, discussion and action.   Their work makes up the action plans of Building Bright Futures of Chittenden County. All Committees welcome new members.  Committee Chairs set their own agendas, facilitate meetings, and delegate tasks, based on the approved plan of the Council.  Except for the Executive Committee, committee membership is from the Council and the community.  

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:  This group of 5-7 Council members has two co-chairs who also facilitate the Council meeting.  Its members support and  help evaluate the coordinator; set agendas for Council meetings with input; approve voting Council members; and make recommendations about the Council’s structure and functioning.  It also takes the lead in representing the Council, with Council approval.

OUTREACH & PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE: This committee coordinates outreach about Building Bright Futures of Chittenden County to the community.  It also provides public engagement opportunities for individuals and groups to educate decision makers about early childhood issues. Finally, it works with other organizations to make sure families with young children in the county get the information they need to support their families.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT:  This committee that coordinates activities for families with young children, locally.  There are 12 coordinators who work with families, their local town libraries, recreation centers, schools, child care programs and others to inform parents of health and other supports and services.  They also coordinate and enhance services as needed.  These coordinators, many of whom are parents of young children, are the ones who offer Welcome Baby Visits to families with newborns, organize annual welcome baby parties, schedule summer field trips, and host family literacy trainings for parents.  To learn about their events go to Playgroups Plus.  All activities are free and coordinators always welcome others to get involved!

BUDGET COMMITTEE:  This group is made up of individuals who receive no funds from Building Bright Futures of Chittenden County.  They work with the coordinator to review fiscal reports, recommend the annual budget to the Council and over see budget related issues.  Currently the VNA of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties is the fiscal agent for Building Bright Futures of Chittenden County and employs the Coordinator.
        
REGIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEE:  This committee includes administrators and planners who are helping to develop an Early Childhood Regional Plan for Chittenden County. 

INTEGRATION COMMITTEE:  This committee is planning how our region will integrate three different services for pregnant women and young children who have special needs.  This work is being done in each region across the state as part of the work of the VT Child Development Division.

ADHOC COMMITTEES AND NETWORKS:  Often new tasks arise from the Council or the community that require a short term committee to oversee and implement them.   Some examples of these are the Planning Committee of the local Community Leadership Class, the Kindergarten Readiness Summit and other committees formed around specific projects, events or issues.