The Agency of Human Services announced Friday that seven Vermont communities will be part of a new, two-year program to help vulnerable children.
The 鈥淧romise Communities鈥� will get guidance from Promise Community coaches to develop a plan that will unite education, social services, health care and the private sector 鈥渢o create an all-of-the-above, comprehensive approach to transforming communities to better support children with high needs,鈥� according to a news release.
The communities are:
- Barre City and Barre Town
- Bellows Falls
- Green Street to Canal Street in Brattleboro
- Franklin County Early Childhood Programs region (includes the schools of Franklin Central and Franklin Northwest Supervisory Unions)
- Rutland City
- St. Johnsbury
- Winooski
The communities were chosen by a selection committee that evaluated economic, education and child care data for communities across the state, the release said. The program is being lead by Julianne Nickerson of the Agency of Human Services. Nickerson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
Each selected community will receive grants of up to $200,000 once they鈥檝e developed a plan with their coaches. The money comes from a $36.9 million federal grant 鈥渢o help build a high-quality and accessible early childhood system in the state,鈥� the release said.
