Family Leadership and Engagement

BBF works to empower families and elevate their voices. Family leadership is an important part of Vermont’s Early Childhood Action Plan (VECAP), Goal #2: Families and communities play a leading role in children’s well-being. We believe that all parents are leaders. From the moment the parenting journey begins, caregivers become experts. They are experts in caring for their families and understanding the individualized care, services, and support each of their children or family members needs. When we say parent or caregiver, this includes all adults who have a primary role caring for a child, such as grandparents, foster parents, aunts, uncles, adoptive parents, and birth parents.

Each family interacts with the early childhood system in unique ways. As families access services or connect to support, there are opportunities for them to shape the interactions and relationships they have with the programs they participate in. Families can help identify program needs, engage in programmatic decision-making, take on community-level roles, and advise on state policymaking efforts. They can be powerful agents for change. Learn more below about opportunities to get involved and resources for Vermont families of young children.

Join the Families and Communities Committee

The BBF Families and Communities Committee works to develop a statewide approach that enriches and expands family partnership and leadership at the provider, agency, and community levels. Our committee is entirely virtual and open for parents and providers to join anytime. You can call in via your computer or phone, from anywhere! All you need to do is show up with all of the knowledge and experience that you hold.

We value your time. Parents and caregivers will be compensated for participating in committee meetings and activities. To learn more or join, email [email protected] or visit the Families and Communities page linked below.

Learn More

Upcoming Meetings

All Vermont parents and caregivers are invited to join Families and Communities Committee meetings on Zoom.

2025-05-01 10:00:00

Families and Communities Committee Meeting

A Black dad with glasses holds his happy toddler in his arms

2025-05-15 13:00:00

Families and Communities Committee – Family Lunch Bunch

A mom smiles with her arms around her toddler who wears a denim dress and has blonde hair

2025-06-05 10:00:00

Families and Communities Committee Meeting

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“Being involved with the Families and Communities Committee has allowed me to openly express my views, ideas, and thoughts as a parent representative to strive to be a catalyst for change in our community. The Families and Communities Committee welcomes my voice and is receptive to us as parents. It has inspired and pushed me further in my own advocacy and self-healing journey. I know at the end of the day that I am helping my son, other parents, and other children in our community and our state.” —A member of the Families and Communities Committee

View the Family Leadership Dashboard

In 2024, BBF released a Family Leadership Dashboard that shows family leadership opportunities in Vermont. Parent representatives and leaders can view opportunities and connect to organizations to get involved. The dashboard is not a searchable tool; however, individual columns can be sorted to adjust viewing.

The dashboard is part of our Family Leadership Mapping Project, which completed a Family Leadership Inventory survey in 2024 to document opportunities for parents and caregivers to advise on statewide policymaking and system-wide efforts. This work is part of the Preschool Development Grant and VECAP Goal #2: Families and communities play a leading role in children’s well-being.