About Us
Creating a bright future for Vermont families
The Network members are fifteen independent, locally based nonprofit organizations, each providing a wide range of supports and services for parents and caregivers with young children. Centers deliver essential services that support health, development, well-being and care of young children and are key partners across Vermont’s systems of care for families.
Centers are community-based, welcoming hubs that provide a range of services to encourage safe, stable and nurturing relationships and environments that are critical to helping children thrive and improving outcomes.
As a Network we are active in community, state and national coalitions and advocacy groups. We believe that the voice and experience of every parent matters and strive to bring the voice of children and families to regional and statewide advocacy efforts.
PCCs are designed to serve every family that walks through their door – and to make sure that parents have the support and resources they need to nurture their children and get them off to a great start in life. In order to provide these essential services for families with young children, PCCs must be adequately funded. By collaborating as a Network and working together to maintain state-wide standards of quality, efficiency, and shared resources, our collective impact is amplified.
Our Approach
High Quality Services, Research-Informed Strategies, and Innovation
Parent Child Centers embrace a Two-Generation Approach. When parents do well, children thrive. By supporting parents economically and socially, they can give their children the best possible start. Through a holistic, family-centered approach families get the services and support they need.
PCCs listen to and involve parents. PCCs actively engage parents through Family Advisory Committees and on Center Boards of Directors. Parent perspective informs program development and feedback is used to build quality of services.
Programs are grounded in research. Prevention services targeted at reducing and treating Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can dramatically reduce long term health care costs. High quality birth-to-five programs deliver strong returns on investment throughout the lifecycle including improved outcomes in health, labor market activity, and income.
97% of parents
report their PCC has a positive impact on their family.
84% of parents
report they always received the help they needed and that was right for them.
Our History
The Vermont Parent Child Center Network (VPCCN) was originally created by four innovative Parent Child Center leaders in 1986 who joined together to share resources, deepen collective impact of the first Centers and spread the vision of Centers as hubs for families with young children, focused on early childhood development, support to parents, and prevention services.
The Network was authorized by Vermont state statute in 1988 and grew to include the current fifteen legislatively designated Parent Child Centers (PCCs) to serve children and families throughout the state. Over the years, Center Directors worked together as a volunteer board to build the Network, and successfully advocated for Vermont state legislative Act 150 (2022) that authorized the VPCCN to become an Agency of Human Services community partner and administer funding directly to the Parent Child Centers.In 2024, the VPCC inaugural year as an independent Network, it hired its first full time Director. The Network administers the State PCCN Integrated grant awards to the 15 Centers. The Network Board, comprised of leadership from each PCC, works with the Director to ensure high quality programming, accountability, and collaboration among the Centers.
The Network Today
Today the Network serves as an Agency of Human Services community partner, and a key provider in the State’s system of care for young children and families. The Network ensures high quality programming, accountability, and collaboration among the designated Centers.
Leadership: The Network assures that standards of quality are maintained,and services are effective, family driven and seamlessly integrated into Federal, State and local systems of care.
Advocacy: The Network works on behalf of the Centers to highlight the state-wide impact and to attain the funding needed to continue to deliver on our critical mission of improving outcomes for Vermont’s children.
Collaboration: The Network regularly convenes Centers from across the state to share program practices, innovation and impact. By building connections with local community partners, statewide services and local and state government, PCCs can build even greater impact.
VPCCN Leadership
Director
Ellen Amstutz, MSW, PhD
Network Board of Directors
Carol Lang-Godin
VPCCN Chair
Executive Director, Lamoille Family Center
Lindsey Trombley
VPCCN Vice Chair
Executive Director, Orange County Parent Child Center
Denise Main
VPCCN Treasurer
Executive Director, Sunrise Family Resource Center
Nicole Sener
VPCCN Secretary
Executive Director, Milton Family Community Center
Donna Bailey
Director, Addison County Parent Child Center
Debra Gass
Director, Early Education Services/Windham County
Claire Kendall
Executive Director, Family Center of Washington County
Stephanie Slayton
Executive Director, The Family Place
Jackie Reno
Executive Director, The Janet S. Munt Family Room
Kim Laroche
Director of PCC Services, Lund
Nancy Powers
Director, Early Childhood and Family Services
Katie Foster
Associate Director, Early Childhood: Family and Community Engagement
Northeast Kingdom Community Action (NEKCA)
St Johnsbury Family Resource Center
Newport Family Resource Center
Margaret Walsh
Director of PCC Services
Northwestern Counseling & Support Services
Stephanie Carvey and Corissa Burnell
Co-Executive Directors
Rutland County Parent Child Center
Danna Bare
Executive Director
Springfield Area Parent Child Center
Our Funding
The Network is an Agency of Human Services’ community partner and funded through the PCCN Integrated Grant from Vermont Department for Children and Families, Child Development Division.
The Network also receives funding from other sources for state-wide progams delivered through the Centers. Each of the Centers are independent nonprofit organizations which, in addition to the PCCN Integrated Grant, are supported by government grants and contracts that are integral to their roles as key providers of services to children and families.
The Network thanks the A.D.Henderson Foundation and The Couch Family Foundation for supporting the annual PCCN Innovations Conference.