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Navigating child care in Vermont

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Live call-in discussion: As Congress considers overhauling America’s child care system, Vermont families are trying to manage the current crisis. Child care is unaffordable to many families and open spots in child care centers are hard to come by. The pandemic’s made it all worse, especially on women. 80% of people who have left the workforce since the start of the pandemic are women. Meanwhile, child care providers are facing their own set of crises. Directors struggle to hire enough people to keep their centers open. And when a worker gets COVID, the staffing crunch gets even worse.

This hour, we talk to parents and providers navigating this broken system. We also hear about Vermont’s new plan to get federal funds to child care centers ASAP, and we take your calls. vpr.org

Broadcast live on Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021 at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or tweet us @vermontedition.

Mikaela Lefrak is the host and senior producer of Vermont Edition. Her stories have aired nationally on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, Marketplace, The World and Here & Now. A seasoned local reporter, Mikaela has won two regional Edward R. Murrow awards and a Public Media Journalists Association award for her work.
Lydia worked for Vermont Public Radio and Vermont PBS from 2019 until 2022.