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State of Vermont, Department for Children and Families Child Development Division Act 76 FAQs

3 Revised June 10, 2024

Section 1 - General Questions 1. What is Act 76? Act 76 is a bill related to early childhood education. The law makes significant investments and policy changes that will impact child care in both early childhood and afterschool settings, and will impact the families who are served in these settings. The General Assembly intended Act 76 to: • Increase access to and quality of child care, afterschool, and summer programs statewide. • Provide financial stability to child care programs. • Stabilize and support the state’s early childhood workforce. • Better support Family Child Care Homes. • Increase equitable access to and quality of Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) offerings for four-year-olds. The full bill is available to view online. CDD has also created a Summary and Status Chart that breaks down the key elements of Act 76. This chart is available to view on our website and will be updated on a regular basis. Section 2 - Child Care Financial Assistance Program (CCFAP) A. The State Reimbursing Child Care Programs on Behalf of Families 1. Can you tell me more about the changes in CCFAP rates paid to programs? See the breakdown chart of the CCFAP Rates per Act 76. • On July 2, 2023, the CCFAP state rates adjusted to a simplified and higher rate schedule that better reflects the cost of providing child care. The new capped rates will apply to programs regardless of their STARS rating; this is designed to ensure that families receive a similar benefit from CCFAP no matter which program their child attends, while supporting all programs in achieving high-quality standards. • Effective with the CCFAP service period beginning December 17, the state rate increased by 35% of the rate that was effective July 2, 2023. The following also took effect: • Effective with the CCFAP service period beginning December 17,