News and Events

Our second annual “Force for the Future” policy luncheon on April 12 was a wonderful chance for community members, business leaders, parents and politicians to discuss why early childhood is such an important focus, why we need to invest in programs that support the health, education and well being of every child.

The Family Place Executive Director Elaine Geunet spoke about the work we do here and the ways in which we try to better the lives of local families. She showed a video produced by the Ounce of Prevention Fund called “Change the First Five Years and You Change Everything” which showed audience members, some for the first time, what growing up in poverty can look like: three year olds watching T.V. at home all night while a parent works third shift; two year olds kept strapped in their car seats at their daycare center; kindergarteners who go to school lethargic, hungry, distracted and unprepared.

Steve Voigt, president of the Vermont Business Roundtable and CEO of King Arthur Flour, spoke about the need for skilled workers in Vermont and about how investing now in early childhood creates the future work force we need to make Vermont a vital, healthy player on the stage of world economics.

Governor Shumlin began his talk by sharing his own history of dyslexia. If it weren’t for one elementary school teacher who worked long hours to teach him to read, the Governor said, he wouldn’t be where he is today. That to him speaks of the power each of us have to improve the world of a child. The Governor went on to speak about the importance of investing in the prevention of problems instead of trying to solve the problems after they’ve begun. If we can make healthcare and education a reality for every member of the preschool population today, then tomorrow we’ll have functional, productive individuals who can contribute to the well-being of our state and country.

A rousing call to work harder for the most vulnerable members of our community!