Vermont Child Poverty Council

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Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

CDs

15-1, 2, 3

Meeting Record

9:00 AM

Welcome and Introductions

9:15 AM

Progress on Eliminating Child Poverty in Vermont

Side by side report on the last legislative session

• Jennifer Carbee, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Council
  

10:00 AM

Prekindergarten Education

Update on implementation

• Karin Edwards, Director, Student Support, Agency of Education
  
• Melissa Riegel-Garrett, Pre-Kindergarten Coordinator, Agency of Education
  

10:30 AM

Programs in Other States

Innovative programs in other states to help children in poverty

• Rochelle Finzel, Group Director, National Conference of State Legislatures
  

11:00 AM

Administration's Goal

Ending homelessness by 2020. Mr. Chaney chairs the Governor's Council on Homelessness.

• Angus Chaney, Director of Housing, Agency of Human Services
  

11:30 AM

Subcommittee Updates

Review of subcommittee structure

12:00 PM

Adjourn

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Friday, September 4, 2015

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

Meeting Record

9:00 AM

Subcommittee Meetings

Housing and Homelessness Subcommittee will meet in room 32 (House Education Committee room)
Health and Nutrition Subcommittee will meet in the Ethan Allen Room

9:45 AM

Driver's License Restoration

• T.J. Donovan, Vermont State's Attorney, Chittenden County State Attorney
  
• Chauncey Liese, Chief of Driver Improvement, Department of Motor Vehicles
  

10:15 AM

Housing and Homelessness

• Sarah Carpenter, Director, Vermont Housing Finance Agency
  
• Erhard Mahnke, Coordinator, Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition
  

10:45 AM

Full Service Schools

• Paul Dragon, Director of Policy and Planning, Agency of Human Services
  
• Amy Fowler, Deputy Secretary for Educator Quality, Agency of Education
  

11:15 AM

Subcommittee Meetings

Education Subcommittee will meet in room 32 (House Education Committee room)
Economic Security and Empowerment Subcommittee will meet in the Ethan Allen Room

12:00 PM

Adjourn

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Friday, October 16, 2015

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

Meeting Record

9:00 AM

Subcommittee Meetings

Housing and Homelessness Subcommittee meeting in room 11. Health and Nutrition Subcommittee meeting in room 8, Senate Natural Resources

• Erhard Mahnke, Executive Director, Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition
  

9:45 AM

Voices for Vermont's Children

• Molly Goldberg, Research Associate, Voices for Vermont's Children
  
• Sarah Teel, Research Director, Voices for Vermont's Children
  

10:15 AM

Budgetary Issues

How the state budget affects children in poverty and their families. Recommendations for providing better support.

• Jack Hoffman, Analyst, Public Assets Institute
  

10:45 AM

Workforce Development

Issues concerning youth and workforce development. Testimony to be confirmed.

• Mathew Barewicz, Chief, Labor Market and Information, Vermont Department of Labor
  

11:15 AM

Subcommittee Meetings

Education Subcommittee meeting in room 11. Economic Security and Empowerment Subcommittee to meet in room 8, Senate Natural Resources.

12:00 PM

Adjourn

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Thursday, November 12, 2015

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

Meeting Record

9:00 AM

Subcommittee Meetings

Housing and Homeless Subcommittee meeting in the Ethan Allen Room, Health and Nutrition Subcommittee meeting in room 32 (House Education Committee room)

9:45 AM

Children of Incarcerated Parents

• Suzi Wizowaty, Executive Director, Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform
  

10:15 AM

Survivors and Vermont's Housing Crisis

• Gilan Merwanji, Economic Justice and Policy Coordinator, Network Against Domestic & Sexual Violence
  
• Auburn Watersong, Associate Director of Public Policy, Network Against Domestic & Sexual Violence
  

10:45 AM

Committee Discussion

Brief updates from each subcommittee and general discussion on recommendations

11:15 AM

Subcommittee Meetings

Education Subcommittee meeting in the Ethan Allen Room. Economic Security and Empowerment Subcommittee meeting in room 32 (House Education Committee room)

12:00 PM

Adjourn

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Thursday, December 10, 2015

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

Meeting Record

9:00 AM

Subcommittee Meetings

Housing and Homeless Subcommittee meeting in Room 10, Health and Nutrition Subcommittee meeting in Senate Committee room 8, Natural Resources.

9:30 AM

Subcommittee Meetings

Education Subcommittee meeting in the Room 10. Economic Security and Empowerment Subcommittee meeting in a Senate committee room 8, Natural Resources.

10:00 AM

Expanded Learning Opportunities

• Holly Morehouse, Director, Vermont Afterschool, Inc.
  

11:30 AM

Discussion

Planning for the Council's report and recommendations

12:00 PM

Adjourn

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Thursday, June 30, 2016

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

Meeting Record

10:00 AM

Welcome and Introductions

1) Review and discussion of subcommittee structure
2) Election of chair (or co-chairs)

10:15 AM

Review of 2016 Legislative Initiatives Impacting Child Poverty

Comparison of 2016 legislative enactments to Council's 2015 report recommendations

• Jennifer Carbee, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Council
  

11:15 AM

Vermont Universal Children's Higher Education Savings Account Program

Update of the work of the Vermont Universal Children's Higher Education Savings Account Program Fund Advisory Committee

• Tom Little, Vice-President and General Counsel, Vermont Student Assistance Corporation
  
• Shana Trombley, Governor's Office
  

11:45 AM

Future Meeting Schedule and Topics

Council discussion

12:00 PM

Adjourn

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Thursday, August 18, 2016

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

Meeting Record

9:00 AM

Blue Ribbon Commission on Financing High Quality, Affordable Child Care

Update on Commission's progress.

• Jessica Blackman, Agency of Administration
  
• Michelle Fay, Associate Director, Voices for Vermont's Children
  

9:30 AM

Child Care in Vermont

Panel discussion on the work of the Department for Children and Families, Agency of Education and Department of Labor. Witnesses to be confirmed.

• Karin Edwards, Director, Student Support, Agency of Education
  
• Annie Noonan, Commissioner, Department of Labor
  
• Kenneth Schatz, Commissioner, Department for Children and Families
  

10:45 AM

Afterschool programs

• Holly Morehouse, Director, Vermont Afterschool, Inc.
  

11:15 AM

Stalled at the Start

Update on June 2016 report from Let's Grow Kids.

• Robyn Freedner-Maguire, Campaign Director, Let's Grow Kids
  
• Jen Horwitz, Director of Policy and Research, Let's Grow Kids
  

11:45 AM

Council Discussion and Next Steps

12:00 PM

Adjourn

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Friday, September 16, 2016

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

Meeting Record

9:00 AM

Chronic Absenteeism

• Jay Diaz, Poverty Law Project Fellow, American Civil Liberties Union - Vermont
  
• Beth O'Brien, Principal, Richford Junior Senior High School
  
• Andrew Paciulli, Principal, Academy School, Brattleboro
  
• Tracy Watterson, Multi-tiered System of Supports Program Manager, Agency of Education
  

9:45 AM

Special Education

• Karin Edwards, Director, Student Support, Agency of Education
  
• Karen Joyce, Special Education Program Manager, Agency of Education
  
• Karen Price, Director of Family Support, Vermont Family Network
  
• Courtney Quinlan, Parent
  

10:30 AM

Federal Funding

Title 1 funding in Vermont schools

• Mary Mulloy, State Director of Title 1, Agency of Education
  
• William Talbott, Deputy Commissioner and Chief Financial Officer, Agency of Education
  

11:00 AM

Voices for Vermont's Children

June 2016 report

• Molly Goldberg, Research Associate, Voices for Vermont's Children
  
• Sarah Teel, Research Director, Voices for Vermont's Children
  

11:15 AM

Head Start

• Ben Allen, Vermont Head Start Collaboration Director, Department for Children and Families
  
• Marianne Miller, Director, Head Start, Capstone Community Action
  

11:45 AM

Council Discussion and Next Steps

12:00 PM

Adjourn

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Thursday, October 20, 2016

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

Meeting Record

9:00 AM

Results Based Accountability

• Drusilla Roessle, Performance Improvement Manager, Agency of Human Services
  

9:30 AM

Housing and Homelessness

• Erhard Mahnke, Executive Director, Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition
  

9:45 AM

Roadmap for Ending Homelessness Steering Committee

• Angus Chaney, Director of Housing, Agency of Human Services
  
• Jennifer Hollar, Director of Policy and Special Projects, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board
  

10:00 AM

Youth Homelessness

• Bethany Pombar, Director, Vermont Coalition of Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs
  
• Mark Redmond, Executive Director, Spectrum Youth and Family Services
  

10:30 AM

Reach Up-Moving Families Out of Poverty

• Jessa Denton, Participant, Reach Up
  
• Eileen Nooney, Director, Family & Community Support Services, Capstone Community Action
  
• Erin Oalican , Reach-Up Director, Department for Children and Families
  
• Lori Wright, Participant, Reach Up
  

11:30 AM

Housing and Economic Supports

• Richard Donahey, Operations Director, Economic Services Division, Department for Children and Families
  
• Sarah Phillips, Chief Administrator, Office of Economic Opportunity, Department for Children and Families
  

11:45 AM

Council Discussion and Next Steps

12:00 PM

Adjourn

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Thursday, November 17, 2016

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

Meeting Record

9:00 AM

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

State agencies and community providers working with low-income youth who experience mental health, substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders.

• Sally Borden, Executive Director, KidSafe Collaborative
  
• Lisa Estivill, Director of Therapeutic Education/After School Services, Washington County Mental Health Services
  
• Courtney Farrell, Assistant Director Residential and Community Services, Lund Family Center
  
• Laurel Omland, Operations Chief, Child, Adolescent and Family Unit, Department of Mental Health
  
• Catherine Simonson, Chief Client Services Officer, Howard Center
  
• Rich Smith, Backpack Director, Laraway Youth and Family Services
  
• Cynthia Thomas, Director, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division, Department of Health
  

11:00 AM

Reach Up-Moving Families Out of Poverty

• Erin Oalican , Reach-Up Director, Department for Children and Families
  

11:30 AM

Council Discussion and Next Steps

12:00 PM

Adjourn

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Thursday, December 15, 2016

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

Meeting Record

10:00 AM

Financial Literacy

Testimony from Capstone to be confirmed.

• Dylan Giambatista, Director of Outreach and Financial Literacy, Office of the State Treasurer
  
• Dan Hoxworth, Executive Director, Capstone Community Action
  
• Mary Niebling, Director of Community Economic Development, Capstone Community Action
  
• Sarah Phillips, Chief Administrator, Office of Economic Opportunity, Department for Children and Families
  

10:45 AM

Vermont Children's Savings Account Program Advisory Committee

• Shana Trombley, Governor's Appointee, Vermont Children’s Savings Account Program Advisory Committee
  

11:00 AM

Council Discussion and Next Steps

Final work on the recommendations and annual report from the Council

12:00 PM

Adjourn

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