VERGENNES – First Children’s Finance VT (FCF) has announced the first recipients of the Vermont Planning Grant Project, an award designed to expand child care capacity across the state. Among the awardees is Craftsbury Saplings, which received a $50,000 grant to plan a new child care facility in Craftsbury. These grants are part of a broad effort to strengthen Vermont’s child care infrastructure and increase access to affordable, high-quality early childhood education.
Craftsbury Saplings, a non-profit community child care center, serves families in Craftsbury and its surrounding towns. With its current facility at capacity and a lengthy wait list, the $50,000 grant helps lay the foundation for a new 7,100-square-foot building that will nearly triple current capacity, from 19 children to 54.
“This grant is critical for planning our program expansion,” said Melissa Jacobs, executive director of Craftsbury Saplings. “With the support of First Children’s Finance and our additional partners, we can finally address our long wait list and provide the care and early childhood education that so many families and businesses need. Our expansion project supports the future vitality of our community: ensuring that families have access to quality child care where they live and work.”
Vermont Planning Grants, made possible through partnership with Let’s Grow Kids and with funding from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, provide in-kind professional services, child care business assistance, and a financial stipend to support planning a capital construction project for new or expanded child care operations. With at least 15 more grants expected to be awarded through 2025, the project builds on the momentum created by Act 76, Vermont’s historic public investment in its child care system.
