BRATTLEBORO — All children deserve a safe, nurturing, and stimulating start to life. From high-quality prenatal care to rich early-learning experiences, the children we raise today will become tomorrow's parents, leaders, and innovators.
The Southeast Vermont Building Bright Futures (BBF) is one of 12 from across the state dedicated to improving the quality of life for all young (birth to age 8) children and their families.
Our mission is to support and improve all aspects of the early-childhood system based upon Vermont's integrated Early Childhood Framework and Action Plan.
In addition to this broad-level work, we offer several direct services and initiatives for families, early educators, and community members:
• The Welcome Baby program provides new, adoptive, and recently relocated parents information, coupons, and opportunities for families to connect.
• The Teddy Bear Teas are an opportunity every spring at elementary schools across Windham County for children to bring their favorite teddy (or other stuffed animal), tell stories, and connect.
We hope our two upcoming events will ignite rich discussions about the state of early childhood as a nation and as a state:
• The first, sponsored by the Let's Grow Kids campaign is The Raising of America film and conversation on Tuesday, Oct. 28, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Latchis Theatre.
A sneak peek of the upcoming PBS documentary The Raising of America, the film explores how a strong start for all our kids can lead to a healthier, stronger, and more equitable America. A panel discussion will follow the screening.
• Also, save the date for Dec. 8, 5 p.m. at the Brattleboro Retreat for a community event, “Building Bright Futures: The State of Early Childhood in Southeast Vermont.”
Vermont has a lot to be proud of as it relates to early childhood, yet we still have much more to do to ensure the best possible start to life for all our children. This forum will be conversation about the state of Southeastern Vermont's early childhood system, what's working and where we need to improve.
For more resources and upcoming events, please visit buildingbrightfutures.org or like us on Facebook. We put out a newsletter twice per month and our advisory board meets monthly.
To share your story or to join our efforts, contact me at 802-451-8627 or [email protected].