Hi friends,
I’m Shannon Edmonds-Folsom, and I run the child care program at Jay Peak Resort. The Early Childhood Educator Profession Bill (S.206) matters a lot to me, and recently, I took time away from my program to drive to Montpelier and testify before the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare.
Here’s what I told the Committee:
I’ve been at Jay Peak since 2013, and my path from ski school to early childhood education wasn’t exactly straight—but it led me here, and I couldn’t love it more. Now, I manage a year-round program serving kids from 6 weeks to 5 years old, plus a seasonal drop-in program for resort guests.
There’s a lot to know when you work with children this age. Think of it this way: I can drive my own kid to school, but you wouldn’t put me in charge of the whole school bus without a CDL license. Children spend roughly 12,000 hours in group care before they start school, and early childhood educators make every one of those hours count, filling them with language, art, music, relationships, and care that helps children grow into grounded, capable humans. This work requires skill, preparation, and dedication, and the people doing it deserve professional recognition.
Recruiting and keeping qualified staff is challenging, which is why the Early Childhood Educator Profession Bill is so important. It gives educators a clear career path, recognition for their skills, and reasons to stay in this work long-term. It gives directors like me a way to ensure I’m hiring the right people for the job, and a framework to communicate our expertise and value to our families and community.
Well, the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare recently passed the ECE Profession Bill 5-0. That makes me feel proud and excited. A few more committees will review it before it goes to a full Senate vote, and then on to the Vermont House. We’ll need to keep advocating, but I’m in it for the long haul!
