Resources >> Early Childhood Resources List

Dowlnoad the Resource List

You can download the 4 page list of resources for expectant families and parents of young children in Chittenden County.    It is organized for families by what you might need:

• general information
  
• crisis and emergency
  
• parenting information and resources
  
• early childhood information and resources
  
• health and safety resources
  
• food, heat and transportation

General Information

You can also go through the list by section and visit the websites that are referenced in it.  To get more detailed information about each service, contact them directly. Don’t forget to check out 211 (just call it!) to help you find help in Chittenden County and  throughout Vermont  (orgo to www.vermont211.org).

CRISIS or EMERGENCY  (24 hours/day, 7 days a week)

• First Call for Children and Families
  864-7777 call day or night if your family is having a crisis.
  
• Poison Control Center 
  1-800-222-1222  call with questions and find out what to do about poisons
  
• Women Helping Battered Women  Hotline: 
  658-1996   General number:1-800-228-7395 counseling, support groups, referrals, temporary shelter and housing services, legal advocacy.
  
• Women’s Rape Crisis Center   
  Hotline: 863-1236  (24 hours) services for survivors of rape and child sexual abuse.

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PARENTING INFORMATION & RESOURCES

• Breastfeeding support
  (see HEALTH AND SAFETY RESOURCES below)
• Prevent Child Abuse VT 1-800-CHILDREN
  Call for help:  (1-800-244-5373)  "who ever said being a parent is easy?" Monday – Friday, 9:00 to 5:00.
  
  Classes for Parents:
  
  • Beginnings
    658-5959 parenting, infant massage, infant CPR, and breastfeeding (fee charged, Medicaid accepted).
    
  • Healthsource
    847-2278 Fletcher Allen Health Care community calendar with workshops on parenting and other topics (may be a fee).
    
  • Nurturing Parent series and support groups:
    1-800-CHILDREN (1-800-244-5373)  
    
  • Rocking Horse Circle of Support  
    859-1230   for women - especially moms with young children - to talk about taking care of ourselves and the impact alcohol and other substance abuse has on our children/families. Childcare & transportation assistance provided.

• Dads Support:
  • Fathers and Children Together (F.A.C.T)
    Ongoing support group with dinner and child care. Call ahead to confirm time and location!
    862-2121 - Tuesday evenings from 5:30-7:30pm at the Ethan Allen Homestead or VNA Family Room. (Weather dependent).
    324-6431- Monday evenings from 5:30-7:30pm at the Winooski Family Center on 87 Elm Street.
    
  • Nurturing Father Program
    1-800-244-5373   series of parenting classes with Prevent Child Abuse Vermont.
    
    
• Grandparents as Parents
  893-1457 support groups for grandparents raising their grandchildren
  
  
• Parenting support at home home visits to eligible families to get help with parenting
  
• Milton area 893-1457  Milton Family Community Center www.miltonfamilycenter.org
• Chittenden East area  864-7467  Lund Family Center  www.lundfamilycenter.org
• Chittenden County area 860-4420 Visiting Nurse Association  www.vna-vermont.org
  
  
• Playgroups, Welcome Baby Visits, and more Parent Child Centers & local Building Bright Futures of Chittenden County
  Programs offer a wide range of free services and supports to pregnant women, families, and children birth to six years old such as playgroups, Welcome Baby visits, resource and referral, parent education, family events…
  • Burlington - Playgroups and family activities 862-2121 VNA Family Room at St. Joseph School, 20 Allen St., Burlington;  Burlington Welcome Baby Visits 865-7182 City of Burlington  
  • Milton:  893-1457  Milton Family Community Center
    
  • South Burlington: 652-7451. South Burlington Family Center  
  • Winooski:  652-1422.  Winooski Family Center
    
  • All other towns in Chittenden County: 652-5138 Building Bright Futures of Chittenden County will refer you
    
    
• Family support : Casey Family Services - the Family Advocacy and Support (FAS) program helps ensure family stability by providing a variety of clinical services to families and connecting them with other community resources.  Brian Southworth 655-6688 x 704  www.caseyfamilyservices.org
  
  
• Parenting Children who have Special Needs
  View Special Education Contacts
  Child Development Clinic/Children with Special Health Needs 863-7315  specialty clinical care and coordination for children who have special health needs and their families; evaluation and diagnosis for children with developmental and behavioral questions.
  Essential Early Education (EEE)  developmental screening for all children ages 3-5 years. Evaluations and Special Education for those with significant developmental delays. Call your local school district.
  
  
• Family Infant and Toddler Program 
  764-5294 - help for families of children birth to three years of age who are concerned about how their baby is learning and growing. www.partoparvt.org
  
  
• Parent  to Parent
  764-5290 or 1-800-800-4005  connecting families who have children with special needs,  to other parents & a network of support and  information.  www.partoparvt.org
  
  
• Vermont Parent Information Center (VPIC) 876-5315 or 1-800-639-7170 information, advocacy, education and support for families who have children with special needs. www.vtpic.com
  
  
• Pregnancy  see HEALTH & SAFETY RESOURCES  below
  
  
• Postpartum Support
  860-4420 Visiting Nurses Association – phone support and visits (see also HEALTH & SAFETY RESOURCES - Mental Health, below)

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EARLY CHILDHOOD INFORMATION and RESOURCES

• Child Care Resource
  863-3367 - get help finding and choosing full time or part time child care, and applying for subsidy to pay for child care. www.childcareresource.org
  
  
• Child Care Consumer Concern Line
  1-800-540-7942 call if you are having difficulties with your child care provider or to find out if a child care program has had a substantiated complaint.
  
  
• Building Bright Futures of Chittenden County
  652-5138  information on activities and supports for young children birth to six and their families in Chittenden County:  www.earlychildhoodconnection.org
  
  
• Essential Early Education (EEE)  Developmental screening
  for all children ages 3-5 years. Evaluations and Special Education for young children with significant developmental delays. Call your local school district.
  
  
• Family Infant and Toddler Program 
  764-5294 - help for families of children birth to three years of age who are concerned about how their baby is learning and growing. www.partoparvt.org
  
  
• Head Start (Champlain Valley Head Start): 651-4180 - education, health, child care and social services for low income families with children ages 3-5.  www.cvoeo.org
  
  
• Parent to Parent
  764-5290 or 1-800-800-4005   Connecting families who have children with special needs, to a network of support and  information; parent to parent connections.  www.partoparvt.org
  
  
• Vermont Parent Information Center(VPIC)
  658-5315 or 1-800-639-7170   information, advocacy, education and support for families who have children with special needs. www.vtpic.com

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HEALTH & SAFETY RESOURCES

• Breastfeeding Support: 
  • La Leche League 879-3000 Mother to mother breastfeeding support for pregnant and nursing mothers. Telephone help, lending library, monthly meetings    www.lalecheleague.org
    
  • Lactation Resources of VT
    878-6181 in-home lactation consultation by certified professionals, breastfeeding equipment rental and sales, lactation classes
    
  • Breastfeeding Clinic of VT  
    865-0001 breastfeeding consultation by appointment. Sliding fee
  • Breastfeeding Pumps  
    863-7323 or 863-7325 available to WIC eligible families.
  • Lintilac Nurse-Midwifery Services
    847-1600 breastfeeding clinic, education, counseling, breast pump sales and rentals
    
    
• Car Seats 1-888-TOT SEAT
  (868-7328)  Fitting car seats for your car & car seat inspections
  
  
• Dental Services:
  
  • Dental Assistant Program 879-8153  Essex Technology Center – free x-rays/client dentist by request.
    
  • The Dental Center at the Community Heath Center, 652-1050 617 Riverside Ave, Burlington, Medicaid accepted, 4 yr old & up.  
    
  • VT Dental Care 656-2385   Champlain Mill, Winooski , Medicaid Accepted.
         UVM Dental Clinic 847-2585 low cost cleaning/x-rays.
    
    
• Doula Services:  
  951-0066 Call for a list of women who provide labor support and after birth care.
  
  
• Exercise Get Moving Champlain Valley
  Call 864-7541 Quarterly calendar with free physical activities like walking, swimming, stretching, yoga, team sports around the community.
  
  
• Food 
  (see FOOD, HEAT AND TRANSPORTATION section at the bottom of this list)
  
  
• Health Information:
  Health and wellness information 847-8821- Frymoyer Community Health Resource Center at the FAHC hospital helps patients, families and the community  research and locate reliable health information and support groups
  Health Information and Services 863-7323 www.healthyvermonters.info VT Department of Health provides health and nutrition services for babies and parents including, Healthy Babies Kids and Families, Lead Safety, VT Immunizations (shots) and much more.
  
  
• Healthy Homes:
  Consumer Product Safety Consumer Product Safety Commission: 1-800-638-2772  to obtain product safety information, other agency information and to report unsafe  products, or  website: www.cpsc.gov  to find  what products are recalled and other information
  • Burlington Lead Program 865-7599 working to reduce lead poisoning in Burlington
    
  • VT Department of Health 951-0078 Information and help with lead paint, problems with drinking water & other unsafe housing conditions in Chittenden County
    
    
• Health Insurance:
  
  • Dr. Dynasaur/Medicaid
    1-800-529-4060   health insurance for your baby and children
    
  • Health Care Ombudsman
    863-2316 or 1-800-917-7787  Help with Health insurance problems & access to health care
    
  • VHAP (Vt Health Access Program)
    1 - 800 - 250-8427 Health insurance for low income adults.
    
    
• Hearing: Hearing Outreach Project
  (HOP) 863-7326 to check child’s hearing (birth to age four)
  
  
• Home Visits Services
  Specialized  parenting support, health services and pregnancy support.  
  • Visiting Nurse Association   860-4420,  Milton Family Center  893-1457 and      
  • Lund Family Center 864-7467  (see also PARENTING SECTION above)
    
    
• Mental Health:
       The Baird Center for Children and Families 863-1326 mental health services and supports for families and children. www.howardcenter.org 
       Child Care Resource 863-3367 consultation to child care providers and support for the children in their care  www.childcareresource.org
  Postpartum Support  860-4420 Visiting Nurse Association – phone support, visits and referral to  Postpartum Support Counselors
       Postpartum Support group 578-4367 Molly Millwood, a mom and a psychologist runs this group; pregnant moms welcome too - most insurance accepted, sliding fee scale available
  
  
• Personal Safety:
  
  • Dept. for Children and Families 
    To Report a concern related to child abuse or neglect call 863-7370  
    
  • Chittenden Unit of Special Investigations (CUSI) 652-6800 investigates crimes of a sexual nature, with children or adults as victims, includes the Children’s Advocacy Center  - see below.
    
  • Children’s Advocacy Center 652-6897  provides connection to services for abused children and their families, as well as referrals, support groups and other programs.
    
  • Child Protection and Family Support Team - KidSafe  863-9626   the team works with families and servic
    e providers to respond to concerns regarding child abuse and neglect, and promote child and family safety
    
  • Women Helping Battered Women  Hotline:  658-1996  General Number: 1-800-228-7395 counseling, support, information referrals, temporary housing, legal advocacy 24 hours/day
    
  • Women’s Rape Crisis Center   Hotline: 863-1236  (24 hours) services for survivors of rape and child sexual abuse.
    
    
    
• Poison Control Center 
  1-800-222-1222  24 hours a day, 7 days a week information and help
  
  
• Pregnancy
  testing, planning and support:
  
  
  • Care Net Pregnancy Center
    658-2184 free pregnancy tests, information/support services through pregnancy and early parenting; starter layettes
    
  • Planned Parenthood
    863-6326 pregnancy tests, birth control, medical care referral, confidential options counseling     
  • Birthright
    865-0056 confidential support in unplanned pregnancy decisions, free pregnancy tests
    VT Children’s Aid Society
    655-0006 pregnancy counseling, adoption services
    Lund Family Center 864-7467 pregnancy counseling, assistance, adoption services
    
    
• Tobacco-Alcohol-Drugs:
      
  • Rocking Horse Circle of Support 660-0178  Join other women to talk about taking care of ourselves and our families, improving family communication, and the impact alcohol and other substance abuse has on our children/families. Childcare & transportation assistance.  
  • Smoking Cessation Programs: VT Quit Line: 1-877-YES-QUIT (1-877-937-7848)  free telephone counseling, referral to support groups and information.  see also: www.cancer.org (type in ‘smoking’ in the search bar)

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FOOD, HEAT AND TRANSPORTATION

• Chittenden Community Action
  (part of Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity) 1-800-287-7971  and CVOEO 862-2771 
  
  
• Community action agency supports low income people in the community, providing assistance with housing, fuel costs, prescriptions, Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf, and more. (Monday through Friday, 9 am to 4:40 pm, with 24 hour message).
  
  
• Food :
  
  
  • Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP)
    656-5433 educators come to your home or group to help you learn to choose and prepare good foods (by UVM Extension for lower income groups or individuals).
    
    
  • Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf 658-7939
    
    
  • Commodities (CSFP)
    1-800-214-4648  Supplemental food for pregnant and postpartum women & children 0-6 yrs old, not receiving WIC.
    
    
  • Economic Service Division (formerly PATH)
    863-7365 food stamps, health assistance, Reach-Up (cash assistance, case management assistance, resources for school or work)
    
    
  • WIC (Women, Infants and Children)
    863-7325   Dept. of Health food program for eligible families including food delivered to your door, individual nutrition education, group education for breastfeeding, picky eaters & eating during pregnancy, and community resource assistance, breast pumps, and Farm to Family coupons for locally grown produce in the summer and fall.
    
    
  • Food Stamps
    www.vermontfoodhelp.com: click on this website to find out if you are eligible for food stamps.
    
    
• Transportation:
  
  • CCTA (Chittenden County Transportation Authority)
    864-0211  bus service; bike racks and lockers; special bus routes; discount fares; transportation services for people with disabilities & Medicaid medical transportation; Vermont Rideshare; link express (commuter bus between Burlington and Montpelier); downtown Burlington park and ride; bus passes and ticket outlets and purchase by phone; includes
    
  • SSTA (special transportation).   www.CCTAride.org
    
  • Good News Garage:  864-3667 refurbishes donated vehicles and awards them to qualified individuals
    
  • Car Seats:  1-888-TOT SEAT (868-7328) Fitting car seats for your car & car seat inspections